


Into The Demon Realm

by Zeelian



Series: The Eternal Universe - Birth of a Dragon [11]
Category: Fantasy - Fandom, Original Work, Science Fiction - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Mythology, Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Magic, Chronoshift, Cultural Differences, Demon Courting, Demon Languages, Demon Realm, Demonic Culture, Family Reunions, Multi, Non-Binary Species, Sexual Initiation Rites, Temporal Anomaly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-08 00:51:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 50,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19096390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeelian/pseuds/Zeelian
Summary: Finally ready to seek out Emelie's father they head to Dimmuborgir, and much to their relief, find what they seek, and before long they find themselves at the doorstep of the Obsidian Halls, and the Demon Realm.Once inside Takeshi and Emelie find themselves faced with an amazing new world where the inhabitants and the environment seem to compete with each other about which is the stranger, the more amazing.Informed that they will probably have to wait quite a long time to meet with the Lord, and learn more about Emelie's father and her heritage, they throw themselves into learning as much as they can about the Obsidian Halls and the angels that live there.But they are also faced with other demon cultures, with a wide range of unfamiliar practices, and some of them very disagreeable.





	1. Dimmuborgir

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Dimmuborgir_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“ _Alpha_ , that wasn't a very nice way to tell her...”  
Knight scolded Takeshi lightly from his seat while Takeshi and Emelie went through the startup sequence.  
“Well, might be better than making her wait almost ten years...”  
Emelie quipped from the co-pilot's seat which earned them both a flash of fangs, but there was no real anger behind the snarl.  
“Look, I know it wasn't the best way, or even a remotely good one, but I had to.”  
They all knew they might not return this time and standing there with a crying Amanda in his arms Takeshi just knew he couldn't leave without letting her know how he felt.  
“She is going to kick your ass when we get back.”  
Knight teased with a grin.  
“And you are going to let her!”  
Emelie made it perfectly clear that she would be siding with Amanda and Knight nodded his agreement.  
“I know. I will...”  
He would bear whatever Amanda did when they returned, if they returned, and he would do so without complaints.

And Emelie had a point, it had taken him much too long to actually **tell** her that he loved her, not just show it, but it was the Japanese way.  
In Japanese culture it wasn't commonplace to tell someone you loved them, _Aishiteru_ , especially men rarely did, it was a very big deal and words that would not be spoken lightly.  
Many never went beyond telling someone they liked them _Suki desu,_ or maybe that they liked them a lot _Daisuki desu._  
It was something that was deeply rooted in his personality, and though he knew he loved Emelie shortly after her awakening he hadn't actually spoken those words until he realized that he was falling for Amanda as well, and decided to speak to Emelie about it.

 

.·:*¨¨*:·.-Flashback-.·:*¨¨*:·.

“Sweetie, would you care to listen to me rambling mindlessly for a while?”  
They were seated by the cliffs, watching the rise of the supermoon, a full moon that would soon bleed red as the eclipse came upon them.  
“Oh, finally ready to talk about your feelings for Manda?”  
Her teasing quip made him pause for a moment, then sigh.  
“When did I become so easy to read?”  
“About a year after I met you.”

The fact that she knew what he wanted to talk about rattled him a bit and he needed to take a moment to figure out where to start.  
“Em, I love you more than life itself, I hope you know that.”  
“Of course I know. I can feel it in my soul, always could.”  
“By the _Kami_ I love you!”  
Emelie bore the searing intensity of his feelings, and the near crushing force of his arms, in silent joy, waiting for him to calm down so they could talk.

“Got it out of your system now?”  
She teased and kissed him softly once his arms relaxed around her.  
“I think so... Sorry...”  
“My dear, sweet contradiction. How many times have you told all of us not to apologize for how we feel?”  
Her gentle scolding made him huff at her, but he did settle down and listen.  
“We all know you are not as unfeeling as you try to seem. Your idea of what is appropriate behaviour and the proper level of self control needs some adjustment.”  
“I am a product of my upbringing.”  
The answer was somewhat diplomatic, showing his discomfort about the topic.  
“Mhm, and this is why you have episodes like these, you have so much emotion. You keep trying to maintain your control, but ever so often it just overflows. Only, most of the time the result is a session of your rather emotional kissing that we all know and love.”  
With the mention of kissing Takeshi took the opportunity to dodge the topic by kissing her breathless and with a huffing smile she allowed it for a while.

“So, what is it about loving Manda that has you so concerned?”  
“Nothing really.. It's just, part of me still see the young girl she would have been if it wasn't for the blessing...”  
“And yet you know the blessing didn't change her maturity, it only changed her appearance and gave her some extra instincts.”  
“Indeed.”  
“I swear sometimes you are like a kid with a crush.”  
The teasing words carried with them a deep sense of acceptance that made Takeshi relax, and soon the conversation drifted into silence as they watched the moon bleed red.

 

.·:*¨¨*:·.-End Flashback-.·:*¨¨*:·.

The conversation with Em had only done so much though, he still couldn't find it within himself to actually say the words, though he took care to really try to show her how he felt.  
It wasn't until that final moment, holding her in his arms, knowing he might never see her again, that the wall broke and he was finally able to tell her.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Dimmuborgir_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

It was still before lunch when they landed outside _Reykjahlíð_ , the small village just north of Dimmuborgir.  
At first they had planned on renting a room, but after some more consideration they decided it might cause some issues if rich tourists rented and then no one saw them for an extended time, also they had no idea how long they would be there.  
So they had bought some land and had a cottage built along with a small barn structure that would act as a hangar for the Blackout.  
The piece of land was large enough to sustain a normal family of five, a few plots of cropland and a couple of pastures for the native breeds of cattle, sheep, goats, chickens and horses, though smaller than most breeds they were all hardy animals that could handle the winters well.

“Why don't you boys start setting up the boundary and gather materials while I unpack and make us something to eat.”  
“Of course alpha.”  
“As you wish sweetie.”  
Takeshi and Knight took the box of sanctuary crystals and began walking the boundary of their land, carefully setting out crystals at even intervals to reinforce the barrier that the central crystal would form.  
Meanwhile Emelie brought their luggage out of the Blackout and unpacked, they would stay a few weeks preparing before heading out on their search.  
With the boundary crystals set Takeshi and Knight searched out the absolute center of their land and marked it with a crystal before collecting stones to build a _Hörgr_ , a form of altar cairn that would mark a sacred location, or a sanctuary, within the old Norse traditions.  
They carefully selected the volcanic basalt rocks, favoring pieces with a high calcite content, from the large piles of field-stone that had been deposited in a corner of the land-plot that would act as the garden and using raw strength and natural claws they shaped and stacked the stones into an egg-shaped structure on top of the spot where the central crystal had been placed.

The following day a group of people from the village came by to welcome them and with Knight's language abilities helping them to avoid any misunderstandings they soon found themselves invited to the village hall for an impromptu feast.  
Knight warned them though that the villagers were planning on offering them an introduction to the Icelandic specialties such as _Hákarl_ , fermented shark, or _Súrir hrútspungar_ , soured rams testicles and _Hvalspik_ , whale blubber cured in lactic acid.  
He made sure to give Takeshi an extra warning that _Hákarl_ apparently could be rather smelly before reassuring them that it sounded like there would be some normal food as well, like puffin, whale and horse meat and various sheep, goat and fish dishes.  
There was quite a bit of laughing, and cheering as they tried the local cuisine and their hosts seemed rater surprised that they ate all of it with good appetite.  
Emelie loved the Swedish _surströmming_ so she was no stranger to pungent fermented foods, Knight had spent most of his life as a wanderer, living of what he could catch, and lived through famine so he had long since learned to stomach anything without complaints.  
Takeshi had learned that lesson during his time in Alaska, Amarok always kept a good stock of food in case the hunting failed and for the first year Amarok had made sure to keep Takeshi well fed while teaching him a few of the finer points of hunting and allowing him to get used to his new body, but after that he had been expected to feed himself for a full year, without help.  
Combined with the strict manners that he had been raised with he had no problems pushing down his senses and at least _look_ like he was enjoying everything, though, he didn't actually find anything to be particularly bad, some of the smells were a bit harsh for his senses, like the strong ammonia smell of the _Hákarl_ but the taste was just fine.

By the time they left to return to their cottage they had been promised help with building a stone wall along the boundary of their land, the elders of the village had been curious to have a look at the cottage ever since construction had started.  
Like the most of the houses it was heated, and powered, mainly with geothermal energy, what had caught their interest was the extensive use of the abundant black volcanic stone, all the walls of the cottage and the small barn was built with the stone and sported a turf roof, making them a mix between a stone house and a peat house.  
The older villagers had expressed their approval of using local materials and old techniques instead of having modern materials delivered as was becoming more and more common.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Dimmuborgir_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

It was their 5th night in the cottage when Takeshi woke up from Knight carefully shaking his shoulder.  
_“Alpha, something with power is circling the boundary.”_  
Since they were in unfamiliar lands and close to a potential gateway between realms they slept in shifts until the sanctuary crystals that generated the protective bubble of energy were fully grown which would take about two weeks.  
_“Let's go check it out then.”_  
Takeshi gave Emelie's neck a light nip to wake her up, they wouldn't risk leaving her sleeping while they went out to find whatever it was Knight had felt outside.  
_“We have visitors, so stay alert.”_  
Emelie just nodded her understanding.  
_“Be careful.”_  
She reached out for them as they walked out the door.

“ _It feels curious, young. A bit like Aellai's daughters.”_  
Takeshi had a hard time keeping up with the movements of whatever it was that was out there.  
_“Indeed, a young spirit, or maybe a fae.”  
_Knight had more experience with such creatures so Takeshi allowed him to direct their search and soon they spotted a tall figure with black hair clad completely in gray, the clothes and a glimpse of the face revealed it to be a rather young girl, her height had made them believe she was older at first.  
_“She is definitely curious, how about we start working on the wall and see if that will lure her closer?”_  
Takeshi suggested after they had tried, and failed, to get a closer look at their visitor.  
_“That might work. I'll call my steed as well, its presence might help.”_  
Knight let out the summoning whistle and soon they were working on the wall with the demon steed pulling loads of stone from the large piles and over to the edge of the wall where they were working and it didn't take long before they could feel their visitor sneak closer.  
_“Well, she's definitely fae...”_  
Knight complained silently when she stole the hammer he had been using and hid it in a tuft of taller grass, but he played along and pretended to be confused about what could have happened to his hammer.  
After a while they could feel Emelie reach out to check if everything was alright and they informed her what they were up to and she soon joined them with plenty of snacks that kept vanishing from their plates.  
But it wasn't long before they could feel an older, stronger presence approach them, and this one didn't hide or play games, instead the ancient creature walked up to them and greeted them with a deep, haunting voice.

What followed could only be described as a business negotiation, the _Huldufólk_ , Hidden People, were the fae of Iceland and they wanted a Sanctuary on the island to help stabilize the volcanoes and make sure that their people could continue their ways.  
Takeshi promised that he would speak to the Mother of it and Emelie promised that if the Mother agreed she would make sure the seed made it there, carrying it herself if needed, in return the _Huldu_ promised to take care of their home on Iceland, they would make sure the land was as fertile as it could and the livestock would be kept safe and healthy, they would maintain the stone walls and they would weave runes of protection.  
Takeshi also gave his word as Alpha that should the upcoming task render them unable to fulfill the promise Dan and Amanda would do all in their power to see to that it was done.

Knight was able to use his knowledge of fae in general and his skill and experience at dealing with them to make, and win a bet of sorts which obliged the _Huldu_ to supply them with all the seed and breeding stock they needed to start and maintain a stable, self sufficient, farm.  
Some additional negotiations ensured that they would receive the best stock available, in return the _Huldu_ would be allowed to use their stock for breeding as long as it did not damage the viability of their herd.  
“You are fair traders, if your word proves to be good the _Huldu_ will call you friends.”  
With those words the elder turned around and began to walk away before fading into nothingness and Knight quickly explained that as far as dealing with the fae went their meeting had gone exceptionally well, even going as far as attributing their success to Takeshi's natural ability to inspire trust, even in those who were not human.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Dimmuborgir_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

 

One month after arriving they were ready to head out, the _Huldu_ had delivered the promised livestock and seeds and an old woman from the village and her grandchildren had been hired as caretakers as it would be strange if they left and the place took care of itself.  
The old woman would see to that the animals had water, were milked and sheared, eggs collected and such, she would also keep the cottage clean and see to that the heating was working as it should.  
In return she could keep the milk, wool and eggs as well as be allowed to take one of the calves, kids and lambs when it was time for slaughter and any eggs that had been allowed to hatch they could do with as they pleased.

“Em, put this on please.”  
Takeshi handed her a body armor in the same design as his own, dragon leather and scales, only difference was that hers had openings for her wings and tail, it had taken time and many trials but they had managed to make a design with a larger scale mounted above the holes that acted as a flap to cover the holes when her wings were folded into her soul.  
She still disliked the feeling of clothing over that part of her back but she had learned to tolerate it and another, similar one had been made for Knight as well, though his was made to fit under his own armor if needed.  
They had no idea what to expect, they had asked the _Huldu_ , but they apparently stayed away from Dimmuborgir.

“ _Be alert, something is watching us.”  
_Takeshi was the first to notice as they came closer to the strange volcanic formations.  
_“The Huldu?”  
_Emelie's silent question was short and to the point. _  
“I don't think so, they said they never enter the lava field and this feeling is coming from within the field.”  
_Takeshi could feel Knight's agreement over the bond and Emelie deferred to their experience.  
When they crossed over into the volcanic field they could all feel a shift in the air and Knight was the first to speak up as he knew the feeling.  
_“This is a good sign, that feeling means we crossed into the borderlands.”  
“I thought the borderlands collapsed when they hid your home?”_  
Em's confusion carried clearly in her thoughts.  
_“That was just a small part of it, the borderlands is as vast as the realms themselves. There are many realms and between each of them there is the borderlands.”_  
Emelie didn't answer, but her understanding echoed over the bond.

They slowly made their way deeper into the field of volcanic structures , carefully checking each of the old lava-tubes to see if there might be a passage hidden there.  
_“Oh, look! Ravens.”_  
Emelie directed their attention to a pair of the large black birds perched on one of the basalt structures of to the side from the pattern they were currently following.  
_“Nice spotting Em! That's a good sign that we are in the right place.”_  
Knight grabbed her and pulled her into a hug before putting a very confused succubus back on the ground.  
_“Those are not ravens, they are obsidian angels. Some of the angels of the Obsidian Halls are shifters and the raven is their preferred form. Some become large, black, wolves though, and their Lord is known to use both forms at will.”_  
Knight explained before thanking Emelie again and sheepishly adding that he had totally forgotten about that part until she brought his attention to the ravens.  
After a short discussion they broke away from their intended path and headed toward the ravens, the decision was to try to speak to them.

“ _I can't feel anything from them. If you have me introducing myself to regular ravens I will find a way to get even...”_  
Takeshi's tone carried a very clear threat, thought laced with humor, as he stepped up in front of Emelie and Knight and turned to the two ravens with a short bow.  
“I am Takeshi Kiryu...”  
_**“We know who you are, Chosen of the Avatar of Life, who you all are, Son of the Lost Mountain, Shirai Lilim.”  
**_Takeshi had barely started speaking before a nearly overwhelming presence spoke within their minds and both the ravens flared their wings slightly and bowed their heads.  
_**“What brings you to the Obsidian Halls?”  
**_“I have brought the Shirai Lilim here in search of her father so that she may be brought before Lilith as is the way of the Lilim. She, as well as my Beta have their own quests though, but those are theirs to tell of.”  
Takeshi could feel Emelie bristle at being referred to as _Shirai Lilim_ and he silently soothed her as the raven that had spoken turned and looked at Knight with piercing black eyes.  
“I seek one of the princes of the Obsidian Halls, I know not his name, nor if he still lives but I am oath-bound to try.”  
_**“Not an easy task, our Lord has sired many sons.”  
**_The raven's tone carried a mix of amusement, pride and sympathy.  
_**“And you Shirai Lilim, other than the search for your father what brings you here?”  
**_“My quest is related to Logan's, when we found him we also found the remains of a woman and her newborn infant, their spirits and souls sealed within a tomb. The one Logan seeks is the father of the child, and my uncle.”  
Emelie carefully pulled out the necklace with the pendant from under her clothes and with a quick flare of her aura it detached from the chain and she held it out on her palm, but her wings curled protectively around them and her tail was ready to strike if anyone tried to steal it or damage it.

“ _ **I understand you are protective but may I look closer?”**_  
Emelie gave Takeshi a quick look before nodding and when he held out his arm one of the ravens flew down and landed close to his wrist and waited for him to bring it closer, showing great respect to Emelie's desire to protect the crystal and its precious content.  
When it leaned closer and tilted its head to have a closer look Emelie's tail came in closer and the raven startled with a squawk when it wrapped around its body and wings and the bladed tip came to rest close to its throat, poised to strike in an instant.  
_**“Remarkable how you have managed to keep them safe. I am sure we will be able to find the father if he lives, our Lord should be able to tell who fathered her.”  
**_When Emelie released her grip the raven flew back to its companion.  
_**“Come, we will bring you to the halls and inform our Lord of your quests. Be warned though, you may have to wait quite some time.”**_ **  
**

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Dimmuborgir_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

The ravens led them to one of the volcanic structures and as they entered it an illusion flickered and revealed a tunnel leading down into the lava field and shortly after they began their descent Takeshi heard the beep that told him that they had lost communications contact with Angel.  
Moments later the small drone that had been hovering at his shoulder fell as well and he quickly caught it and put it in his pocket before removing his earpiece with a shrug.  
They knew that they would lose contact sooner or later and Angel had clear instructions of what to do when that happened, executive control of most of Takeshi's holdings were temporarily transferred to Kasumi.  
The exception was the Mandrake assets and the military hardware, those transferred to Dan along with all of Emelie's assets so that the island and estate would remain in the pack's control.  
Dan and Amanda became the twins appointed guardians and if Takeshi and the others did not return before the twins turned 25 most of the assets would be turned into a trust that Kasumi and Dan would manage for the twins until they reached such maturity that they could take over themselves.

“Take?”  
Emelie had noticed the shrug and was seeking confirmation what it was about.  
“Don't worry, we just went out of range of Angel's signal, probably too much interference. We knew that would happen sooner or later.”  
Emelie nodded and returned to her teasing and chattering with Knight to distract him from his discomfort with the somewhat small tunnel, no doubt a lingering trauma from his incarceration.  
“Don't worry Logan, I'll save you if you get stuck.”  
Emelie's tone was teasing but both Takeshi and Knight knew she was dead serious, she would grab Knight and shadowtravel is he had to..

The small path steadily brought them deeper below the surface and Takeshi estimated that they had walked about two kilometers when the tunnel grew brighter and opened up into a small antechamber that housed a few armed guards in black armor.  
When the ravens flew through the doorway they shifted into tall humanoids with large black wings and after a few moments the wings folded tightly against their backs, making them slightly smaller.  
When Takeshi walked across the threshold he could feel a shift in the energies around him, much the same as when they entered the lava field, but everything felt strange, wrong somehow and he guessed they had passed into a different realm.  
He was just about to ask Knight about it when Emelie let out a distressed shriek and collapsed in the doorway.  
**“Em!”**  
Two voices called out as one and Knight quickly pulled her back across the border that passed through the doorway.  
_“What's wrong?”_  
Takeshi's inner voice was concerned, struggling against a near panic from not knowing why Emelie had cried out, why she had collapsed.  
_“Dammit! I should have thought of this!”_  
Knight cursed silently.  
_“Thought about what Logan?”  
_The tone was sharp, demanding. _  
“It's the energies of the demon realm, they are different, stronger, than those of the human realm. She is so acutely attuned to the energies of the world around her that she will need some time to adapt. Wrap her in your aura, pull from mine if you need to, build a buffer against the unfamiliar energy.”  
_Together they began to build a buffer of their own power to protect her from being overwhelmed and once done they slowly crossed the threshold again, ready to pull back at any sign of problems.

 

“Is the Shirai Lilim hurt?”  
One of the sentries looked at them with concern.  
“No, just unfamiliar with the energies of this realm. She needs time to rest and adapt.”  
The other guards in the room instantly moved away from the raised platform that they had been using as a sofa and before Takeshi had a chance to ask what they were doing they had tossed a pile of furs on the large platform and offered it for Emelie to rest on.  
Takeshi carefully placed her on the soft furs before joining her, curling around her while Knight placed himself in front of it in an obviously defensive stance.  
Part of him wanted to shift, but they had all agreed that he should not reveal that ability if he could avoid it.  
When Knight called forth his armor and sword Takeshi thought that the guards would react badly, but they just stepped back a bit more and if anything they seemed to approve of their protectiveness and Takeshi recalled how Knight had treated Emelie at first, like some kind of noble, or royalty.  
It seemed they should be prepared for her to receive similar treatment from those who lived here.

“Logan of the Lost Mountain, does your alphas eat as demons, or humans?”  
One of the guards approached after a while to offer them food.  
“Either is fine with all of us, but please, just call me Logan. I may have been born in the great mountain city, but now I am Logan, _Beta_ of Pack Kiryu, the oath is sworn and I carry their marks with pride.”  
Knight shifted his position slightly to allow the pack mark to be seen without seeming submissive.  
“Logan it is then. We will have food and drinks brought. Maybe we should bring both human and demon foods to ensure Shirai Lilim can stomach it?”  
“That might be the safest.”

When the food was placed on the table Takeshi carefully nudged Emelie awake.  
“Take... What happened?”  
“The energies of this place were a bit too much for you, you will need some time to get used to them.”  
“Is that why you two have me completely smothered in your auras?”  
“It is. We will drop it gradually to allow you time to adapt.”  
Emelie nodded her understanding and quickly turned to the food and started sniffing and testing the various unfamiliar foods.  
“What is this one?”  
She stuffed another big piece of blood-dripping meat into her mouth without waiting for the sentry to reply.  
“It's _Gong.”  
_“And that is?”  
Emelie looked up with avid curiosity.  
“An extremely aggressive rat that can grow to the size of a school bus, not counting the tail.”  
Knight was the one to answer her and he did so with a laugh.  
“Oh...”  
Emelie looked at the piece of meat for a moment before putting it her mouth and licking the blood from her claws.  
“Oh well, it's not like it's the first seriously weird thing I eat, and I'm sure it won't be the last.”  
Her reaction brought on some chuckles and approving comments from the other guards and Takeshi felt a surge of pride tinged with possessiveness and a hint of jealousy.

“They are popular, but dangerous prey. They grow and reproduce rapidly and can cause great damage to both crops and livestock. They are clever and aggressive so most will try to kill them while they are babies, about the size of a small horse.”  
“Sounds like a pretty regular rat, other than the size of a bus part...”  
The sentry explained that while they kept the population down they always allowed a few to mature into adults to hunt for sport, and as a delicacy, the older and stronger the beast the better the quality of the meat and that the meat she was currently eating was from a young adult that had just become old enough to reproduce.  
“And how old is that?”  
“About three of your months.”  
“So only slightly slower than a brown rat... That's rather terrifying.”  
“Indeed, they can be quite a pest if not controlled.”  
The guard explained that young warriors would pit themselves against the _Gong_ as training, and proof of their skills, starting with the young ones and as their final test of skill they would pit themselves alone against a fully grown _Gong_ , and only those that succeeded were allowed to join the guards.  
“Logan, have you ever taken down one of those things?”  
“Indeed I have, it was one of the tasks of the city guards and they would often hire me to take care of it. And many traders would hire me to capture or kill large adults for their shops.”  
“I think I would like to watch one of those hunts someday. You should join one Take, show your worth.”  
The challenging growl that answered her caused quite a bit of laughter in the room, laughter that was soon replaced with snickers and hoots as she silenced him with a kiss.  
Things would have turned into one of their usual romps if the second sentry had not arrived a few moments later and quickly greeted them.

“I have informed our Lord of your arrival and he will arrange to meet with you once Shirai Lilim has had time to fully adapt to the energies of this realm.”  
They quickly thanked him and he moved on to talking about accommodations for their stay.  
“Is it safe to assume that you would prefer to sleep in the same room?”  
“Yes, a single bed as well. If you don't have one large enough to fit the three of us a pile of furs and pillows will do just fine.”  
“Don't worry, our kin can grow quite large. Those of us who are here are suppressing our size in order to be able to fit into these chambers and tunnels.”  
“So, how big do you guys get?”  
Emelie voiced her curiosity.  
“About twice the height of your Logan here, though we are not as heavily built, fliers rarely are as it would make our bodies too heavy. The ancient ones, the pure-bloods and nobles can grow past our height half again. And even they only reach half the height of the Lord of these halls.”  
“But I easily carry Logan, even Take when I fly so weight can't be that much of an issue?”  
“Such is the power of a Lilim.”  
The sentry paused for a moment and looked between Takeshi and Knight as he realized her exact words.

“Wait, you say Logan weighs less despite being so much larger?”  
“Let's just say Take is built like a brick, a lead brick...”  
“I'd prefer calling it a body of steel.”  
Takeshi quipped from behind her as he gave her ear a nip in teasing reprimand, an action that quickly brought them back to the interrupted kiss and soon turned into one of their usual romps, much to the guards amusement.  
The sentry just shook his head and turned to Knight.  
“Well, there is no doubt she is a true succubus.”  
“Indeed... I doubt they will be much company until it's time for the next meal.”  
“Would they prefer privacy?”  
The sentry glanced toward his colleagues who were all watching, some openly, others more subtly.  
“They don't mind as long as those watching does so with respect. Just pay attention, they will give warning if something displeases them, but if that warning isn't heeded in a timely fashion the reaction will be harsh. Especially Take's reaction.”  
“Oh, I would have thought Shirai Lilim would be the one to react the strongest as she is demon.”  
His words triggered a hiss from Emelie and Knight quickly explained that she didn't like being called _Lilim_ and preferred her name, or just _Em_ and after a few moments he added a warning against calling her _Emmy_.  
After a quick apology Emelie's energies settled down and focused back on Takeshi.  
“Take has the instincts of a shadow beast and due to his rather unique circumstances those instincts are exceptionally strong, especially those relating to the protection of pack-mates, body, mind and soul.”  
“So, a true _Alpha_ through and through, is he?”  
“Definitely.” **  
**

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Dimmuborgir_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Logan, may I have a word with you? Your alphas seem to be rather occupied...”  
The unspoken _still_ hung heavy in the air as the sentry waited for Knight to answer him, it was quite understandable though as they were currently on their third day of the stay and Takeshi and Emelie had shown no sign of wanting to move from their makeshift bed.  
“Of course. Those two will keep themselves occupied for a long time unless something happens. It seems Take is taking to the energies of the demon-realm really well.”  
Knight glanced at Takeshi and Emelie before moving to sit at the table that had been brought in to see what the sentry had to say.  
“I have spoken with our healer and he feels it would be better for her to stay here until she is more comfortable with the energies of the realm. In this chamber it is easy to move her into the borderland should something go wrong.”  
“We appreciate the concern, but it's not needed. My steed can bring her out of here if needed.”  
“Steed?”  
“A stallion from the red plains that I found when he was a mere colt, his dame slain by a predator. She was a flame-mare and the sire must have been of a reptilian, venomous nature. Possibly one of the draconian breeds from the black mountains. ”  
“A potent mix, to bad about the dame though, the flame-mares are becoming rare, as are several of the other breeds. You should bring it to my uncle, he has studied them for a very long time. He's even managed to breed them occasionally.”  
”Maybe I will, depends on how long we remain here.”  
“I'm afraid it can be quite a while before the Lord has time to meet with you.”  
“Don't worry, we understand.”

After waiting for about an hour to see if Takeshi and Emelie would take a break the sentry shook his head and got up to leave.  
“Well, I have prepared your rooms so you can relocate there whenever they feel like coming up for air, or food.”  
The voice of the sentry held an amused tone as he glanced toward the pair among the furs.  
“Rooms? I thought we agreed to us sharing room?”  
“Since your stay might become rather long I figured I might as well put you up in a proper apartment within the palace area.”  
“There's no need for that, Em won't demand any special treatment, quite the opposite, it might piss her off.”  
“Not offering it would be an insult, and our Lord would not stand for that. And it's also for your safety, not everyone here is so accepting of outsiders, of those with mixed blood, and they may try to attack you and Takeshi for being so close to a Shirai Lilim.”  
The twin growls from the furs told them that Takeshi and Emelie were paying at least some attention to what was happening around them.  
“Yeah, as you can hear I don't think that would be a very good idea to try. And trust me, he might not look or feel like much, but he is a monster. I have met _Arai_ Lilim who don't even come close to being as scary as him.”  
The memory of feeling Takeshi's true power during his heat set Knight's body on fire and the sentry picked up on the shift in mood and snickered at him.  
“I have felt his unsealed power once, during my last heat a few years ago, and it was unbelievable. And I know he has grown much stronger since then. I'm hoping to get a chance to feel it again while we are here.”  
Knight wasn't sure why, but he didn't feel the usual discomfort when speaking of his heat.  
“If you are meeting with our Lord you will, he will insist that any seals are dropped, as will Lady Lilith if you are to be present for Lady Emelie's initiation.”  
There was the familiar low hiss from Emelie at being referred to as _Lady_ but there wasn't any aggression in it, just a sense of frustrated surrender.  
“Also, during your stay my brother and I have been assigned to be your guides, and guards. When you are ready we will place our vows.”

Knight's nod was somewhat distracted as he slowly approached the fur covered platform, his senses and the bond wide open to check for any sign of them rejecting his approach and when they didn't and he climbed onto the furs there was an amused sigh from the sentry as the black winged angel shifted into his raven form and headed up the tunnel to the lava fields of Dimmuborgir.

“How are you guys holding up?”  
Knight made himself comfortable next to his alpha pair, carefully reaching out for both of them, touching, asking to be touched.  
“Better.”  
Emelie rewarded his request for contact by leaning in and trailing kisses along his jawline and down his throat which instantly made him tilt his head back so she could nip at his throat.  
“And you dear alpha?”  
At first Takeshi just huffed at the question but when his refusal to answer was met by two sets of glares and a simmer of concern over the bonds he sighed and gave in to their questioning.  
“I'm scared...  
Both of them instantly closed rank around him and waited patiently for him to elaborate.  
“I am so afraid that something will happen where they need me, and I won't be there. Afraid they won't all be there when we return. But most of all I'm terrified we won't all return.”  
They knew he wasn't afraid of dying as such, what he was afraid of was leaving the others to manage without him, and of losing any of them.  
“That comes with being a pack alpha. It's in your nature.”  
Knight soothed gently.  
“It doesn't seem to be as strong with you or me though...”  
Emelie's reflection made Takeshi turn to Knight, expecting some sort of explanation.  
“I'm not the pack type, I'm a solitary type so I don't have quite as powerful pack instincts. As for our sweet Em, she is still immature, a juvenile, who has yet to fully awaken to her instincts. I have no doubt she will prove to be a strong pack alpha to match you.”

When the sentry returned they were all dozing off on the pallet, but when he approached carefully they stirred and readily accepted an offer to bring food.  
When he returned with the food his colleague, who also happened to be is twin brother was with him as well.  
“Would it be okay with you if we speak of some practical matters while you eat?”  
There was a slight hesitancy in his voice while he spread plates and trays over the large table.  
“On one condition.”  
“Name your terms.”  
Mr Serious was the one to reply to Takeshi's demand while his brother who they had dubbed Mr Playful took a step back  
“You boys sit down, enjoy a few treats as well.”  
Takeshi took the opportunity to show his dominance in a more friendly way..  
During the time they had spent with the guards they had learned that the twins were very young, barely out of their teens by Obsidian standards and by calling them boys Takeshi reinforced that while they may have over a thousand years on him, he was considered a full adult.  
To a human this may have seemed petty, but the guards were demons, they understood Takeshi's need to establish his position, especially when Emelie's rank as a lilim made everyone defer to her first.  
“As you wish.”

“So, what was on your mind?”  
After spending a good half an hour just eating and chatting Takeshi opened up for whatever it was the angels wanted to talk about.  
“We, my brother and I, have been ordered by imperial decree that we are to be your honor guard while you are here. We are to protect you if needed and offer whatever guidance you wish for. Anything you wish to learn about this realm we are to aid you to the best of our ability, or see to that you are brought before ones that are able to teach you.”

The information had both Takeshi and Emelie voicing their approval, which made Mr Playful blush slightly, turning his skin a more prominent black, while the only sign of emotion on Mr Serious was a slight rustle of his wings that told them he was pleased.  
It had been surprisingly easy to learn to read the obsidian body language, though they were still unsure about the meaning of some of the involuntary chirps that they voiced from time to time, even demonic linguistic abilities were of little help with those.

“Just one thing first before we go into any details, if you are to be our guides, it might be a good thing if we know your names.”  
Emelie quipped with a smile.  
They instantly apologized and introduced themselves but Emelie just stared at them, their names sounded like the song of a bird, nothing that could be recognized as even remotely similar to any human language.  
“Okay, I don't think I'll ever be able to remember that, much less pronounce it...”  
Her complaints were met with knowing snickers, they were perfectly aware that their true names would be near impossible for them to manage, few other than the obsidian angels ever learned to speak their language.  
“Oh well, I need to call you something so how about I just call you Hugin and Munin?”  
She pointed to them in turn as she spoke.  
“The ravens of _Óðinn_ , you do us great honor Lady Lilim.”  
“You better watch that mouth of yours or you will find that I know a few less flattering words in old Norse...”  
She snapped at Mr Serious, who she had just dubbed Munin, and he quickly apologized but the smile told a different story and Emelie just huffed at him.  
“The Lady Lilim is no doubt a force to be reckoned with.”  
This time it was Mr Playful, now dubbed Hugin who spoke up and there was a distinct teasing quality to his words

“When you are ready to leave and head into the Halls beyond we will place an oath of loyalty.“  
Munin explained that they would swear loyalty to Emelie and those who were hers, it did rub Takeshi the wrong way a bit but he was able to suppress those instincts and force himself to accept that it was their way to honor her blood over the internal rankings of the pack.  
“How about you boys stick around until then so we can get to know you a bit better?”  
“We have been excused from our regular duties while you are here so we can do that.”  
“Excellent, you can start by not hiding away on the other end of this table.”  
Takeshi patted the empty space next to him and looked at Hugin expectantly and after a moment of hesitance the angel accepted the invitation.  
“There you go. I promise I won't bite, unless you ask me to.”  
Hugin instantly turned a deep black at the not so innocent promise.  
“Or earn yourself a reprimand, he's totally gonna nip your ear if you do that.”  
Emelie's added quip quickly turned the deep obsidian blush into a somewhat ashen gray as Hugin blanched at the thought of having Takeshi nipping at his ears, then a moment later he turned back to deep obsidian.  
_“Take, don't tease him too much, give him a chance to get used to us.”_  
Emelie instantly picked up on the Hugin caught Takeshi's attention.  
_“Don't worry, I won't, I will.”_  
The last thing he wanted was to scare the angel away, quite the contrary, he found the winged being to be quite intriguing and if anything he wanted him closer, maybe even share his bed and have lots of sex close.  
The somewhat less than clear answer made Emelie give him the mental equivalent of a slap on the back of the head.

“So, tell us a bit about yourself.”  
“Like what?”  
It was obvious that the pair was unsure where to start, unsure what aspects of their lives would be of interest to their future charges.  
“Well starting from the beginning usually helps. For instance you are twins, but who is the firstborn?”  
“Technically we are born at the same time as our kind are only considered twins if we hatch from the same egg. But as I was the first to voice my signature chirp, essentially my name, I'm considered to be the eldest.”  
“Oh, you actually lay eggs?”  
“Yes. Many flighted demons do as a prolonged pregnancy would hamper the ability to fly. The choice becomes to either lay eggs or birth very small and undeveloped young.”  
“Ah, and eggs are easier to rear that a small, highly undeveloped infant that would require a lot of care and protection, so by laying eggs you allow the development to take place outside the body, while still in a somewhat protected form that is less care demanding than the alternative.”  
Emelie instantly caught on and continued the reasoning that had been presented.  
“Indeed, it allows us to hatch rather well developed. An obsidian infant is similar to a 2 year old human in development when we hatch.”  
“That's amazing!”  
Takeshi could tell that Emelie wanted to ask more questions, especially about succubus and lilim pregnancies, but her fears of what the answer would be made her hesitate and drop the subject.

“So Munin is the elder brother, it suits you, all serious, responsible and by the book, while baby brother Hugin plays around and does things his own way.”  
Takeshi's frank assessment of their personalities made both pairs of wings bristle for a moment before they looked at each other and broke down laughing.  
“I guess that would be an accurate description. My brother has always been rather... Carefree.”  
It was obvious in the tone that Munin actually meant careless, not carefree.  
“Indeed, my dear old brother can be quite the stick in the mud.”  
The friendly teasing between brothers quickly had Takeshi and the others chuckling and soon everyone was teasing and sharing bits and pieces about themselves, and their respective companions. **  
**

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Dimmuborgir_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Is this room secure from prying eyes?”  
There had been a silent conversation going in within the pack while they got to know the twin angels better.  
“It is.”  
Munin's demeanor instantly turned serious again.  
“Good. If you are to aid in our protection and be our guides, there is some things you need to know about me.”  
They had decided to show the twins Takeshi's abilities.  
“You know that the Avatar of Life chose me to be her champion, but how much do you know about what that actually means?”  
“Not much, we know you have been given power beyond that of a human, but we don't know what those powers are.”  
“As I suspected then. We will need to teach you about my abilities, but I want you to swear you will not inform others about my true abilities, secrecy may become my only advantage against a strong opponent.”  
“May we exclude our Lord from this promise?”  
“You may.”  
The two quickly gave their word not to betray Takeshi's secret and he could hear the truth of it.

“The first thing you need to know is that even before the Avatar blessed me I had abilities beyond those of an ordinary human.”  
“Such as?”  
There was a clear curiosity in Hugin's voice.  
“Em, would you give me a hand with a demonstration?”  
“Of course.”  
Emelie quickly removed the serpent familiar from her arm and held it out to Munin who looked somewhat confused.  
“Munin, I want you to promise me that you won't give Take this serpent, no matter what he says.”  
“Okay...”  
He clearly didn't understand but did as she asked him.  
“Munin, I want you to give me the serpent.”  
Takeshi allowed the power of _suggestion_ to flow in his voice and the look of surprise on Munin's face as he started reaching out to offer it without though was telling, moments later it turned into distress as he struggled against the power of Takeshi's will, and to his credit he was able to resist and pull his hand back.  
“Impressive, you have a strong will and you clearly value your word very highly to resist me so well. But I'm afraid I'm going to make you break your word now.”  
He allowed Munin a moment to digest his words before switching to _command_.  
_“Munin, give me the serpent!”_  
Takeshi was very pleased to see that Munin was able to resist him for a while before giving him the familiar, and he quickly gave the hissing creature back to Emelie.  
“You did really well, I'm sorry I had to make you break your word. But it was the easiest way to demonstrate my ability to use my voice and aura to force my will on others.”  
The way Munin's wings hung was telling.  
“Don't worry Munin, this was just a demonstration, I knew you wouldn't be able to keep that promise for very long. The fact that you resisted his suggestion is something to be proud of.”  
Munin nodded softly, but he was clearly distraught about breaking his word, something that greatly elevated their opinion of him.  
“Munin, don't be ashamed. Valuing your word is something we all hold in very high regard. We are all proud of how strongly you fought, and how deeply you clearly feel about having failed.”  
“Thank you Lady Lilim.”  
For once Emelie ignored the title, understanding his need for formality.

“For the next demonstration I need you to go into the tunnel and step beyond the barriers for a moment.”  
Takeshi wanted to demonstrate his ability to hide in plain sight, but it didn't work if some saw him while doing it, and for demons, were close enough to be in direct contact with his aura.  
“Okay...”  
Once the pair had left Takeshi got up and moved into the slightly shaded corner opposite of the pallet and pulled his aura in close, focusing on not being noticed.  
“Okay, you can come back now.”  
Emelie called for the twins to return.  
“Huh, where is Takeshi?”  
Both of them looked around the room in confusion as they couldn't locate Takeshi.  
“Oh, Take is still right here in the room. Look around carefully, and focus on finding him.”  
Doing as asked both of them startled slightly when they finally noticed him.  
“Invisibility?”  
“Not really, it's more like innoticability, if that's even a word. I can suppress my presence, making people not notice me.”  
“It's odd, once I noticed you I knew you had been there all along...”  
Hugin admitted softly.  
“That's right. You did see me, you just ignored me, didn't notice me. It's harder to do against someone who is trained to be observant though so both of you noticed me very quickly.”

Takeshi moved on to telling them about the training with Tsukiko showing them how he could make barriers, the healing was harder though as all of them had demonic healing.  
“I was also stronger and faster than any ordinary human, and my senses much stronger, this was elevated even further when I received Her blessing, making me far stronger than other blessed.”  
“And what does this blessing actually mean?”  
With a teasing smile Takeshi pulled on the power of the blessing and shifted.  
_“This is what I am now.”  
_ He quickly began showing off his various forms and when he took the form of a raven Hugin joined him and hopped over to his side before using his large beak to sift through the feathers on Takeshi's head, which made Munin cough slightly.  
“Hmm?”  
Emelie looked at him with a curious expression.  
“Hugin's behavior would be considered somewhat inappropriate with someone who is not a close friend or family.”  
“Too intimate?”  
“Yes, but I suspect your alpha is well aware of that and is humoring anyway.”  
“I'm sure he is. That is one more thing you guys need to know about him, he is a very tactile person. He will touch a lot, often in ways that would be considered more intimate, and he is not very good at speaking of his feelings, so when he gets over emotional he tends to kiss a lot.”  
“I see, that is indeed good to know. You hear that brother?”  
Hugin only responded with a soft caw that all of them understood to mean _Yes_ .  
It turned decidedly embarrassed though when Takeshi returned the favor and sifted through Hugin's feathers, but both of them were too deep into the raven instincts to care much.  
“My brother has always been better able to let himself go into the instincts than I am.”  
“Take's the same, he trusts his instincts so easily.”

All of them settled back and watched the two large birds preen each other before their attention scattered into what could only be described as playtime.  
“Come on featherbrains, catch!”  
Emelie engaged them by tossing small, silver berries in the air for them to catch which was easier said than done as there wasn't enough room for them to spread their wings properly, requiring them to jump to catch, and the fact that she only tossed one at a time had them scampering and mock fighting over the small treats.  
The way she teasingly called them featherbrains earned her a few annoyed caws though.  
After a while both ravens paused, cawed a few times back and forth, then rushed her, and the bowl of berries, knocking them out all over the table before setting to work eating them.  
“Why you naughty little thieves!”  
The fact that she was nearly doubled over laughing belied her attempt at outraged scolding though and the two ravens ignored her in favor for finishing of the berries.

“So did you guys enjoy yourself?”  
With the berries gone both of them returned to their true forms, though Hugin was still reducing his size.  
“Indeed, it was very relaxing.”  
Emelie and Knight could both feel that a lot of Takeshi's tension had drained from him.  
“Maybe next time we can find a nice hidden clearing somewhere to play in so you can show off your flying.”  
“I think I would enjoy playing around in my raven form again.”  
Hugin's words made them look at him in slight surprise, based on how much he seemed to enjoy it they thought it was something he did whenever he had the chance .  
“Those of us able to shift do receive a certain measure of respect, but it's frowned upon to play around while shifted.”  
“Oh, that's bollocks!”  
Emelie didn't mince her words and Takeshi found himself agreeing wholeheartedly, and not only because he could tell that Hugin had enjoyed their games just as much as he had, but because he was a strong believer in using games and play too improve skills.  
“Any other cultural stuff we should be aware of?”  
“Well, other than what we have already explained about challenges it's nothing major. Logan here might suffer some dirty looks for submitting to Take who most will perceive as being weaker, but they won't say anything since they will assume he does it to remain close to you, who clearly favor Take.”  
“Okay. They better not say anything or I'll kick their asses.”  
“As would be your right in face of an insult to your pack.”

Knight had spent quite some time before they left making sure that Takeshi and Emelie understood demon culture when it came to _Challenges_ .  
If someone insulted you, it was your right to challenge them, it could be a challenge of combat, or some other skill, usually one relevant to the insult.  
Combat challenges were usually fought until one part yielded or was unable to continue fighting, and most of the time they were not permitted to cause serious harm or kill, but there were exceptions where deadly force was permitted, or even expected.  
For instance if someone seriously hurt, or endangered a mate or child the reaction was often deadly.  
Demon's didn't have a big, complex, legal system, and the system mostly handled cases where restitution was demanded, for instance if someone had been injured beyond their ability to fully heal, or killed, they or their family could demand restitution to be paid, either as blood money, or servitude.  
The courts also handled cases of sexual abuse which was something that was very strongly frowned upon in most demon cultures, especially rape of a minor, such a crime carried the death penalty, and even an attempted rape would be enough to have the perpetrator branded and banished.

“I've been meaning to ask, do the obsidian angels have pack instincts?”  
The mention of pack reminded Takeshi to ask about pack instincts among the angels so he took the opportunity to ask Munin about it.  
“Not as a rule no, but some of us do exhibit the characteristics. Our Lord for instance is an alpha.”  
“And I'm a beta. But please, don't tell anyone, being submissive is not looked kindly upon among our kin.”  
Hugin added softly, confirming Takeshi's own suspicion.  
“Don't worry, your secret is safe with us. What about you Munin?”  
“I don't show any indications of pack instincts, though it may just be they have yet to awaken in me. I'm still young after all.”  
“That's good to know. But I assume most are aware of pack instincts and how to avoid triggering them in a bad way?”  
“Of course, we might not have strong pack tendencies ourselves, but we are a major trade and diplomatic center so we frequently come in contact with other demon species with stronger pack instincts.” **  
**

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Dimmuborgir_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Are you okay? Any pain?”  
Takeshi was carefully monitoring Emelie's aura for any sign of pain as he pulled back is aura.  
“It's really uncomfortable, but it doesn't hurt anymore.”

Over the days they had stayed in the small guard-station Takeshi had been slowly removing the layers of power that was shielding Emelie from the energies of the demon-realm but it was slow work and he estimated they had been there for five days when he was finally able to remove the buffer without causing her pain.  
It was still very uncomfortable for her, but she was adapting and was finally able to manage without the help.

“Oh, did I just hear that our dear _Lady Lilim_ is feeling more in tune with the realm now?”  
Munin just entered with the first set of trays with their dinner and they could hear Hugin behind him.  
“I'm getting there, and when I do I am so gonna pluck you like a fat old goose.”  
“You better watch out dear brother, she may be small, but she is succubus, and lilim, so I bet she's gonna be tiny but fast.”  
Hugin's teasing quip as he entered earned him a bit of a glare before she broke into a smile.  
“I think you are overestimating me a bit, I'm not very good at flying.”  
“Now now Em, you are being too hard on yourself, you are an excellent flier.”  
Takeshi's gentle scolding was quickly derailed when the lids were removed from the food and the usual mock battles over the choice bits started.

“I think we will be ready to leave tomorrow.”  
“Excellent, we will make sure everything is in order.”

 


	2. The Obsidian Halls

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Obsidian Halls_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“I will make the final preparations while you eat.”  
“Thank you Hugin.”  
With Emelie feeling comfortable it was time for them to return the room to the guards who no doubt, and in spite of their words, longed to get things back to normal.  
“See you soon.”

Emelie was gorging herself on a large pile of raw Gong meat sprinkled with herbs and juniper berries while they waited for Hugin to return with his brother as promised and she didn't seem to notice when Munin entered.  
“Enjoying your breakfast Lady Emelie?”  
Munin smoothly dodged the knife that came flying his way and Hugin snickered at him.  
“We are ready to place our oath if you are ready to receive it.”  
Emelie instantly stopped eating and move the plate aside before helping them move the table.

With the floor cleared the brothers kneeled in front of them with their heads bowed and wings spread low behind them, they wore no armor and their black swords rested at their sides.  
As one they spoke their oath in their own melodious, birdlike, language and then repeated it in the demonic language that Knight had taught Takeshi and Emelie during their preparations.  
They also made an addition where they swore that it was an accurate translation and everyone could feel the strong power of a geas forming, telling them that a soul oath had been sworn.  
Following her instincts Emelie stepped forward and placed a clawed hand over the base of the large black wings, knowing that Munin was the elder she started with him, applying just enough pressure on the sensitive bone and muscle to cause discomfort, but no pain or damage.  
It was both acceptance of their oath, and warning against betrayal and she quickly repeated the process with Hugin.

When done she stepped back and Takeshi stepped up and he allowed his claws to lengthen slightly before placing his hand at the base of Munin's wings, but Takeshi's grip was not as gentle as Emelie's had been.  
He allowed his claws to dig in and the force he applied was enough to draw blood, but not enough to do real damage and he kept it up until he could pick up a subtle shift through the wings and aura of the black winged angel kneeling at his side, a shift signaling submission.  
Once he felt the submission he gently ruffled the small down feathers around the base of the wings, the action was a reward and an apology all in one, but it was also a test of trust and the acceptance of the touch showed that Munin accepted his apology and trusted that he would not harm him.  
He brought his hand to his face and inspected the tiny drops of black blood on his claws, after taking a careful sniff he began licking them away before moving on to Hugin.

Hugin proved to be far more resilient, and defiant, than his brother and he didn't submit, even when Emelie warned him that Takeshi **would** crush the vital bones if he didn't, instead he kept fighting the pressure of Takeshi's hand and aura, even when Takeshi could hear the vital bones creak in a very alarming way.  
Knowing what was at stake Takeshi found the sound sickening, but he couldn't afford backing down, if the younger brother didn't submit he would have to break those bones, possibly robbing him of the ability to fly, forever.  
He was just about to apply the final push that would break the bones when the wings sagged and the aura submitted and it was with great relief he let up the pressure and removed his claws, but as he was about to soothe the abused area there was a strong flicker of fear so with a flash of regret he removed his hand and stepped back and while he cleaned the blood from his claws he watched Knight repeat the ritual of accepting their vows.

Knight's touch was lighter and he didn't demand full submission, but when he was about to touch Hugin a low growl was heard, warning him to be careful.  
Takeshi's pack instincts were strong, and as far as those instincts were concerned their vows and submission placed them under his protection.  
When Knight stepped back Takeshi returned to Hugin's side and he noted that he was tense, his breaths were heavy and unsteady, and the wings were quivering with pain from the strain of keeping them in the slightly extended, submissive position.  
Slowly reaching for the base of the wings Takeshi gauged the reaction and he sighed when there was a flicker of fear that kept growing stronger as his hand moved closer and the feathers shifted slightly as the first hints of the instinctive fight or flight response set in.  
Still kneeling Munin glanced at his brother with concern, but he couldn't do anything to help him, the ritual of the vows was not over until they were told that they may rise and Emelie would leave that to Takeshi in order to reinforce his position as the dominant alpha.

“Easy, I won't hurt you. I may not be able to help you heal, but I can soothe the pain if you let me.”  
Takeshi needed him to accept the touch, just like with Jenna he had done what he had to but he didn't like it and he didn't want Hugin to fear him because of it, a healthy dose of respect for his power and position, yes, but not fear.  
He kept his hand still, just shy of touching the fine, slightly downy feathers that covered the base of the wings and waited for any sign of acceptance and after a while there was a slight nod and Takeshi gently placed his hand on the still tense wings.  
He carefully sifted through the feathers to get a look at the skin beneath and as suspected he found that the punctures from his claws were still slowly seeping black blood.  
After a while he removed his hand and took a gentle but firm hold on one of the slightly extended wings and moved it into a more comfortable position that allowed it to rest against the ground in a way that took the weight of the sore base and once he could see that it relaxed he did the same with the other wing before returning his hand to the base.  
This time Hugin didn't flinch at the touch and he was beginning to relax when Takeshi played with the soft feathers while using his aura to soothe the lingering pain.

“I can stop the bleeding if you think you can handle allowing my fangs that close.”  
“I don't know... Try?”  
Hugin's words were hesitant and barely more than a whisper.  
“I will go slow, if it becomes too much just say so.”  
It was an exercise in trust and as Takeshi leaned in Hugin froze slightly but didn't ask him to stop and was able to remain still while Takeshi carefully cleaned the blood away, mindful not to mess up the small, soft feathers while sealing the wounds.  
He couldn't fully heal them, he needed to learn more about the unique aspects of the obsidian angels before he could attempts that, and he wasn't sure he would ever be able to, but he was able to make sure the wounds were clean, and stop the bleeding.  
He sifted his fingers through the feathers one last time to make sure he hadn't messed any of the feathers up or left them wet and sticky, a lesson he had learned well after training with the twins using the form of a raptor while they were in their puppy form, and had been slobbering all over his wings.  
The slight flicker of disappointment that passed through Hugin's aura when Takeshi let go and stepped back made him smile as he turned to them and ended the ritual.  
“Your vows have been accepted, you may rise.”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Obsidian Halls_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Wow...”  
When the tunnel from the small guardroom widened they were met with a rather spectacular sight.  
The tunnel opened up into a large basalt cavern, homes, even small shops were cut into the black walls, stalls lined the street and there were trees and gardens littering the area but the plants were strange, their colors different.  
The leaves were variegated in various shades of purple, some were lighter, others almost black and the veins were pure black, the bright white and vivid blue flowers stood out in contrast against the dark foliage and the fruits all seemed to be silver with blue or purple streaks.  
Takeshi suspected it was because there was no actual sunlight down here, just like in the Sanctuary they got their energy from crystal formations that channeled and scattered the pure life-force of the realm, the power that was the Mother.  
“Cool, but not very obsidian, is it?”  
Emelie piped up while inspecting the ivy that crawled around the mouth of the tunnel.  
“Not the the city, but the palace is.”  
Hugin quickly explained while motioning for them to head along the left path toward the back of the large cavern.

Stepping out of the tunnel Takeshi paused as he felt a familiar shift in the energies around him, focusing his senses on the feeling he tried to place it.  
“Odd, since we exited the tunnel something changed, it feels almost like when I'm in the dreamscape.”  
Before anyone had a chance to answer there was a flash of black through Takeshi's aura and a few moments later Kiryu sat in front of them, using the abundant energy of the demon-realm in order to manifest.  
“It's a chronoshift. Time here flows differently.”  
For a moment all that Takeshi could think of was how different her voice sounded, gone was the overwhelming presence he was used to but then he realized what she had said, and just how bad it could be.  
“Different how?”  
Takeshi's voice was sharp and he gave their guides a sharp look for not informing him before they stepped inside.  
“Faster, by a factor of ten. I didn't think it was important as it won't have any negative effect on you, you don't age, and it will make your stay seem shorter to those you left behind.”  
Hugin was once again the one to explain and he did so with his head down and Takeshi could see the strain in the wings as he tried to lower them into a more submissive position while fighting the pain.  
Takeshi quickly reached out to stop him but the flicker of fear as he placed his hand one the wing brought out a familiar ache.  
“Easy, no need for displays, just let them rest. But from now on I would prefer if you tell us things like this and allow us to decide if it's important or not.”  
They both nodded and promised they would do their best to keep that in mind.

“So, Kiryu-sama, do you intend to remain manifested during our stay here?”  
Takeshi turned to the, at the moment small, dragon, that had been his constant companion most of his life.  
“As much as possible, you need the chance to get used to it.”  
Takeshi had to admit, at least to himself and her, that it felt very strange to not feel her power completely intertwined with his own and she had a point, to grow stronger he needed to train without having her power to fall back on.  
The reaction from Hugin and Munin was a rather amusing one as they stared at the small dragon while carefully reaching out and poking her with their aura, at first nothing happened then she released a small flicker of her true power and they scrambled back with wide eyes.  
“She's an ancient!”  
She tilted her head as she looked at them before jumping to Takeshi's shoulder with an amused snort.  
“So, they assigned a pair of fledglings to such an important task as this? Are you even past your second millennia?”  
“Be nice...”  
Takeshi scolded her lightly, she had accepted them and their vow just as he had and was only teasing them.  
“Fine... Cheeky little whelp...”  
She grumbled but her voice was soft, teasing, and the way she curled into his neck was affectionate if anything.

Takeshi's nerves were itching as they walked toward what would be their home for their stay, it seemed like everyone was out in the street to watch them.  
Hugin and Munin quickly picked up on the way Takeshi and Knight began to move in closer to Emelie, circling her with a clear tension in the auras and taking their duty as guards seriously they dropped the seals that forced them into a smaller form and took up positions with Munin in front and Hugin behind them with his wings slightly flared despite the pain.  
Picking up the pace a bit they soon found themselves facing a pair of rather large guards, Hugin and Munin were about twice as tall as Knight, as were most of the obsidian angels they had seen along the street, but these two were half again their size.  
Munin quickly introduced them, all fancy and formal which made Emelie give an annoyed hiss before the guards stepped aside and opened the heavy, ornate gates to let them into the tunnel that connected to the palace area.  
At the other end of the tunnel they were met by another pair of guards by another ornate gate, but these guards were different somehow, their demeanor was haughty and the way they sneered at everyone but Emelie made Takeshi's fangs and claws itch.

“I'm sorry. As we warned you not everyone is accepting of outsiders, and those two are among the believers that only the Obsidian should be permitted in the palace area, they tolerate Em because of her Lilim blood, but if they had their way neither she, or we, would be permitted within.”  
“Even you? Why?”  
“Because we are not of noble blood.”  
“Asshats...”  
The last part was in English as she couldn't think of a suitable insult in Urui, the demon language, but the soft snicker made it obvious that Hugin and Munin understood the intent even if they did not understand the word.  
“Em, language...”  
Takeshi's gentle scolding only made her huff at him before she stopped and looked around in awe.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Obsidian Halls_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Looking around, it was obvious why they called it the Obsidian Halls.  
The cavern they had stepped into was impossibly large, Takeshi estimated that the castle was about five kilometers away and the ceiling had to be nearly 500 meters high and despite the rather impressive height there were pillars reaching from the floor to the ceiling.  
Most of the cavern was ragged cliffs of black obsidian but the near absolute blackness was broken up by streaks of color that was naturally occurring in obsidian, reds, gold and silver sheen, rainbows, even blues and purples along with the clear glass of the midnight lace obsidian.  
The pillars and cut out homes followed the same coloring, mostly black with the occasional streak of color and Takeshi believed the palace would be the same, possibly less random.  
“This way please.”  
Munin interrupted Takeshi's visual examination of the cavern and he just nodded for the brothers to show the way to their new home for an unknown time ahead.

They were about halfway to the palace walls when Munin indicated for them to enter a small park, and on the other end of the park were a few homes cut into what appeared to be a natural formation of obsidian.  
“I'm curious about the formation of such a cavern, it appears to be natural, uninterrupted obsidian, but that's not possible, is it?”  
Emelie was inspecting the somewhat jagged walls of the house and the uninterrupted patterns in the volcanic glass between the ground and the walls.  
“No your right, it's not. The Royal Halls are shaped by elementals who grow, and move the obsidian as needed, other elementals work the basalt of the city in the same way.”  
“Okay, that makes sense.”

Stepping into the home they found a spacious dwelling with rather minimalist furnishings.  
“I'm afraid these guesthouses aren't really intended to be long term homes so they are sparsely decorated, we will have to visit with the crafters if there is any furnishings you are missing. We have been given a generous allowance for seeing to your needs.”  
“I kinda like it, the walls are so beautiful it doesn't need much. Some plants, maybe a few crystal torches, and get rid of that uncomfortable looking sofa and get a huge pile of pillows and furs!”  
Takeshi found himself agreeing with Emelie, the home was quite beautiful in its simplicity.  
“I'm with Em on this one. Though maybe we should keep the sofa as it seems to be designed with large wings in mind.”  
“Oh, you're right. I'm sorry guys, I didn't consider that it's much harder for you to fold your wings than it is for me and you can't make them disappear.”  
“Actually we can, but it is very draining, and uncomfortable. It's also a rather slow process, making us vulnerable as it takes time for us to bring them out and back into flight condition. Though, only some of those of us who are shifters have that ability.”  
“Then you better make sure there's comfortable furnishings for you as well, though we would of course prefer if you joined us in the pile of pillows, as pack-mates should.”  
Takeshi's addition made both angels look at him in confusion  
“But, were not pack...”  
“With that oath of yours your as good as so expect to be treated like pack.”  
The rather bewildered, and somewhat hesitant looks made Takeshi's voice falter.  
“Unless you don't want to treated as such...”  
“Oh, no! It would be a great honor, it's just... It's not an honor that is often offered.”  
Takeshi had a feeling there was more to the words than just their face value, but he allowed it to drop for the moment in favor for further exploring the house.

“This is a really nice kitchen! Though, I'll miss my kitchenaid, the deep-fryer, and the rice-cooker...”  
Takeshi and Knight stod back in silence and watched as Emelie inspected their new home with great diligence.  
“There is a firepit in the garden as well.”  
Munin's addition instantly turned her attention away from the kitchen and the lack of modern appliances.  
“Oh, we have a garden?”  
“Mhm, this way.”  
“What is a _kitchen aid_?”  
Hugin hung back with Takeshi and Knight, and his confusion was obvious.  
“Since servants are rare in the human realm we use machines to help us with heavy, or repetitive, tasks in a kitchen, such as kneading dough, rolling dough for pasta, grinding meat and stuffing sausages, or simply beating and whisking things.”  
“Ah, so the others things she mentions do the same?”  
“In a sense, a rice-cooker is, as the name suggests, a machine that makes cooking rice easier as you just add the rice, water and salt and turn it and it will turn off on it's own when the rice is done. And a deep-fryer is simply a pot with a heating element and a thermostat that makes sure the oil is the correct temperature without the need to monitor it.”  
“Sounds like it could be quite useful things.”  
“It is, but we will manage just fine without them, and I'm sure we can create something similar from sanctuary crystals to make cooking for all of us easier.”

“Are these berries edible?”  
“Yes, and quite delicious as well.”  
Emelie quickly picked a few of the silver berries and offered one to Takeshi before plopping one in her own mouth, then offering one to Knight.  
“I don't even know how to describe the flavor, but they are really good.”  
Takeshi quickly tried the small berry, but found it to be a bit too sweet for his taste.  
“It's okay, I prefer things less sweet though.”  
“They this then.”  
Hugin picked what looked a lot like a kumquat and tossed it to Takeshi before picking one for the others as well as one for himself to show them how to eat it.  
“Indeed, this is much more to my taste.”  
Takeshi found himself greatly enjoying the sour fruit.  
“It tastes almost like a sour Mojito.”  
Emelie's surprise at the flavor made the angels smile and offer her another of the small fruits.  
“Indeed it does, a nice zesty citrus with a touch of pineapple and fresh mint.”  
Any further investigation of the house was quickly derailed as they sampled their way through the garden and Takeshi was happy to learn that everything that grew in it was edible, though a lot of the things were too sweet for his taste.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Obsidian Halls_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Wow, you weren't kidding when you said you had big beds... This thing could easily fit the five of us!”  
When the inspection finally made it to the bedroom Emelie had jumped into the middle of the insanely large bed and now lay on her belly with arms, legs and wings spread as far as she could.  
“I like it...”  
Her posture took on a sultry quality and the power of her seduction rose a bit as she pushed herself up on her hands and knees before reaching out a hand to beckon Takeshi and Knight to join her, all while her tail was swishing in a lazy pattern behind her.  
“As tempting as **that** suggestion is I think we better get settled a bit first.”  
Takeshi rejected her invitation with a smile and an unspoken promise that they would get to it later but she responded by pushing more power into her aura and voice, even her scent shifted as the potency of her pheromones increased.  
“Aw, don't be like that...”  
“Em...”  
Takeshi voice held a slight hint of warning but Emelie ignored him and pushed her power even more.  
“Come on, let's have some _fun_...”  
 _ **“Enough!”**_ **  
**

Takeshi didn't actually raise his voice, he didn't need to, but the growled out word carried an immense power and pure dominance but even that wasn't enough to deter Emelie who was in an unusual mood.  
Instead of backing down her wings flared slightly into a more aggressive position and her horns appeared, a sure sign that she was gearing for a fight.  
Neither Takeshi nor Knight were surprised though, with the increase in power around them and the oath of their new guards the balance of power between Takeshi and Emelie had been shifting slightly and despite the steps they had taken to try to keep it stable it seemed there would be a bit of a fight for dominance.  
“Hugin, Munin, we better step back a bit and let them settle this on their own.”  
Knight cautioned the two angels as he stepped back himself.  
“The balance of power within the pack has been a bit unstable since we got here, both of them responding to the change in energy around us. And your oaths being directed to her first made that worse.”  
“And our submitting to him wasn't enough to restore that balance...”  
Munin's words were not a question as much as a confirmation that he understood.  
“Just a warning though, do NOT get involved no matter what happens, they might actually kill you if you do. And once one of them comes out on top you better be submissive!”  
Knight gave Hugin an extra sharp look, warning him against resistance, he was pretty sure Takeshi would be the one to come out on top, but there was always a chance that it could be Emelie and he was unsure how much control she would have if she did.  
Takeshi would be high strung and more aggressive in his dominance, but he wouldn't harm them, his instincts to protect much too strong now that he considered them pack.

They watched as Takeshi circled the bed in the middle of the room and as he did Emelie shifted her position to keep facing him, all while growls and hisses was all that could be heard.  
When Emelie didn't back down Takeshi's posture slowly shifted, dropping his center lower as he prepared to pounce if she refused to back down.  
Suddenly his pacing stopped and he let out a loud snarl, more like a roar than anything else and for a moment everything became silent and Emelie was visibly struggling and her aura was radiating confusion.  
Part of her wanted to submit, knowing that Takeshi was the dominant alpha, that he was better suited to it and that it was his very nature, but another part told her to dominate, told her that she was strong and should try to take that place for herself.  
Then as sudden as the silence had been it was shattered by a furious shriek and the room exploded into chaos as both of them pounced.

Knight was struggling to stay back, to stay still and quiet as he watched his two alphas tear into each-other with the weapons of their nature, claws, fangs and a sharp tipped tail drawing blood from the one they loved above all others.  
The loud snap and crunching sound of one of the bones in Emelie's right wing snapping under the force of Takeshi's powerful jaws made Knight sick but then as sudden as it had started it was over.  
Emelie was trapped under the bulk of Takeshi's body, left wing trapped awkwardly under her body and the right spread useless across the bed.  
Takeshi's right hand had a secure grip around her throat, claws digging in deeply while his left hand kept her tail and wing trapped, but what had finally caused her to submit was his fangs clamping down over the base of her wings.

Once she had submitted Takeshi dropped her and instantly turned toward Knight and in a move that was nearly to fast to see Knight found himself pinned between Takeshi and the wall.  
Taking a deep breath Knight leaned against the wall and used it as leverage to lower himself down so that Takeshi could easily bite down on his exposed throat without needing to reach.  
He groaned when the powerful jaws clamped down over his throat making the sharp fangs dig in deeply, but it wasn't from pain, at least not the kind of pain one would assume, instead it was the pain of unfulfilled arousal.  
The teasing nip as Takeshi pulled back made it obvious that he had picked up on the reaction, and it carried a silent promise.  
Knight didn't waste any time when Takeshi stepped aside, he instantly moved to Emelie's side and helped her stabilize her wing and took hold of the broken bone, setting the pieces together so that she could allow it to heal and a few moments later the injury was gone.  
He knew that to be proper he should have tended to Takeshi first, the loser would have to wait until the winner said it was okay, but he also knew that Takeshi would not object to the breach of protocol.  
When Emelie tugged at his aura he just opened it up to her to allow her to feed and replenish the lost energy and while she fed he turned to look at Takeshi and the two kneeling guards.  
He watched Takeshi step forward and place a clawed hand on the base of Munin's wings and the angel instantly submitted and was rewarded with a humming purr and a gentle brush of the swirling red aura.  
When it was Hugin's turn things turned bad pretty fast, Knight could see the struggle in the posture of the black wings and he realized that Hugin wasn't actually fighting against Takeshi, but rather against himself, we wanted to submit but something in his instincts wouldn't let him.

“ _Alpha?”_  
Knight reached out carefully, not wanting to set him off, but at the same time wanting to help Hugin avoid the pain that would no doubt come if he didn't submit.  
 _“I'm aware, but it needs to be done, he needs to learn.”_  
The pained whimper when Takeshi's grip tightened caused Munin's wings to flare in agitation, wanting to help his brother, but before he had a chance to act Takeshi aura crashed down over him with a snarl and he quickly forced himself down.  
There was a moment of silence and Knight could feel the wash of emotions, sadness, regret and pain from Takeshi.  
 _“I'm afraid he will never stop fearing me for what I have to do...”  
_ There was a sharp snap followed by a loud cry of pain from Hugin and it became too much for Munin who jumped up to defend his brother, but before he could do anything he found himself pinned to the wall by a body clad in armor and a sharp brightmetal sword pressed hard against his throat.

“Don't move! Keep quiet!”  
Knight's words were sharp, demanding obedience but he could understand the reaction, from his position Munin was unable to see what had happened, and based on Takeshi's position he believed that the sound of breaking bone had come from the base of Hugin's wings, but it hadn't.  
Knight had seen that Takeshi had placed his left hand just above the critical area of the left wing and snapped the bone where it would be able to easily heal, but still close enough to the base of the wings to cause immense pain, and confuse Hugin's senses for a while, making him unable to tell just what part of his wing that was injured.  
A few moments later Hugin collapsed under the pain and the immense force of Takeshi's aura but he still wouldn't submit.  
 _“Please don't force me to hurt you anymore...”_  
Knight wouldn't have heard Takeshi's whispered words if it wasn't for the fact that Takeshi's raw emotions, his pain over what he had to do caused them to echo over the pack bond.  
After an agonizingly long moment Hugin's aura finally folded into submission with a strangled cry of pain.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Obsidian Halls_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

The moment Hugin submitted the room exploded into hectic activity.  
“Em, quick, he's not suppressing his healing, we need to set this wing before it heals.”  
Knight was still holding Munin back as Emelie rushed to help Takeshi set Hugin's wing and the older brother was still struggling.  
“Stop struggling, your brother will be fine. He's just too out of it to suppress his healing so they need to hurry and set that bone or we will have to re-break it.”  
“Don't you know the base of the wings almost never heals?”  
Munin was frantic and Knight pushed him back a bit harder.  
“We know, that's why he broke the bone just above the critical area. Close enough for it to hurt like hell and confuse the senses, but far enough for it to be able to heal nice and fast.”  
With the realization that Hugin was in no danger of losing his flight Munin sagged against Knight who carefully helped him sit on one of the padded stools.

“Beta, if you are done helping Munin could you give me a hand getting this guy onto the bed?”  
“Right away Alpha.”  
Using the words, the titles, helped reinforce the bonds, the balance.  
There was a groan of pain as they moved Hugin onto the large bed, the base of his wings were still very sore from the repeated damage they had suffered and even the slightest shift or effort to move the wings hurt.  
“Em, move his wings so that he can relax them, take the strain off the base.”  
She just nodded, she knew that Takeshi trusted her instincts to know what would be the most comfortable position for Hugin to rest.  
“Take, move here please.”  
She motioned for him to sit down and pushed a pillow into his lap before telling Knight to move Hugin into Takeshi's lap and arranging his wing so that it rested comfortably behind Takeshi's back.  
It allowed Takeshi easy access to the base of the large black wings so that he could help soothe the pain.  
The moment Takeshi reached out to touch the base of Hugin's wings a shiver ran through them and a low quivering whimper was heard, much to Takeshi's sorrow it was not a sound of pain, but of a fear bordering on panic.  
“Please, don't fear me, don't fear my touch. I only want to remove your pain.”  
Takeshi whispered as he once again reached toward the base of the wings but once again the fear intensified to a near panic, deciding to try a different tactic Takeshi placed his hand on Hugin's head and began to run his fingers through the thick, wavy, hair, though short by Takeshi's standards it still reached Hugin's shoulders and as Takeshi allowed his claws to gently drag along the skin he could finally fell Hugin begin to relax.

“Leave them be, Take will take care of him.”  
Munin was still hovering around the bed, trying to get his brothers attention and finally Emelie told him to back off and let Takeshi do what he needed to.  
They watched as Takeshi ran his fingers through Hugin's hair, along his wings and slowly moved closer and closer to the base of his wings, carefully avoiding pushing his fear too far.  
By the time Takeshi was finally able to place his hand on the base of Hugin's wings the others had long since turned their attention to a simple dice game that Munin was teaching them.  
“There, that's is. Relax.”  
He whispered as he sifted through the fine feathers and let his claws drag gently against the sensitive skin while focusing his aura on soothing the pain, but also trying to figure out the energies that flowed through the area, maybe he would be able to assist the healing.  
The injuries were minor, nothing that would affect his flight, but they were painful and Takeshi was hoping he could help that beyond just the temporary relief that his touch gave.

A soft sigh of relief made Munin turn to look at them moments later he was staring at the sight of Takeshi stroking the base of Hugin's wings.  
“Amazing, I didn't think my brother would ever allow him to touch him again.”  
“Our alpha has a remarkable ability to gain the trust of those he meets. And don't worry, he won't willingly betray that trust. He will do everything he can to not have to cause your brother pain again.”  
Knight kept his voice low while he spoke with Munin in order to not disturb Hugin who was nearly asleep with his head still in Takeshi's lap.  
“But he might have to, if he keeps refusing to submit...”  
“Yes.”  
There was no point in trying to hide the truth.

“Still, he's not just tolerating his touch, he is relaxed, almost asleep. As if he is enjoying it...”  
The words carried some heavy implications, among winged demons allowing someone to touch the base of the wings was a pretty big deal, to allow the touch showed trust or submission, but to actually enjoy the touch was rarely seen outside of the touch of a true mate.  
“The touch is soothing his pain, that's probably why.”  
“Or your alpha is the reason my brother has never shown any interest in courting.”  
Munin's voice carried a hint of steel and Knight found himself asking about it before he considered the possible consequences.  
“And if it is, how would you react to that? How would your people react?”  
Most demonic species didn't care much about gender outside of breeding, though mated pairs were usually also breeding pairs of opposite gender it was not unheard of true mates being of the same gender.  
Those pairs would usually seek out a suitable surrogate or donor to be able to breed, sometimes even going into a cross mating with another pair of the opposite gender who was in the same situation.  
But there were some species, some demonic cultures, that did not look favorably on such pairs, some would ostracize them for a mere rumor, even hunt them down and kill them and Knight didn't know what the views of the Obsidian Halls were.  
“I would prefer if it was someone of the halls, someone who wasn't just a temporary visitor.”  
Munin looked at his his brother with a sigh.  
“Our people won't look too favorably on him since I doubt your Alpha would be the submissive one. Our people have a rather unfair way of looking upon male couples, the dominant one is pretty much ignored while the submissive one is looked down upon as being less than a man.”  
“ _Argr..._ ”  
Emelie whispered.  
“Yes.”  
Munin's rage was thinly veiled.  
“Em, what does that mean?”  
The word was unfamiliar to Knight and his demonic affinity for languages required more than just a single word to work, but based on Munin's reaction he had a suspicion what it meant.

“Unmanly, cowardly. Sexual deviant. It can mean many things, but none of them good.”  
She explained that in the old Norse culture accusing someone of being _Argr_ was a severe thing, the worst possible insult and the accused was expected to either kill the accuser on the spot, or demand _H_ _ó_ _lmganga_ , a duel, that when the accusation of _argr_ was involved would usually be to the death.  
Killing the accuser did not constitute murder so no _weregeld,_ blood-money, was required and the killer did not become outlawed.  
If the accuser refused _h_ _ó_ _lmganga_ and was unable to provide proof of their accusation they would become _Nīðing,_ weaklings, cowards and would be outlawed.  
“That's pretty bad.”  
Knight agreed when Emelie was done explaining.

“It wouldn't make much of a difference for us anyway, we are already considered to be _less_ because we are twins. Our mother even killed our father to protect us.”  
“Why? Few fighters are as strong as twins that have trained together... Just like our girls.”  
Emelie was confused by what Munin told them, and Knight began to explain.  
“Some demon cultures believes twins to be bad luck, they believe that the mother only has a set amount of power to give to her offspring, and that if she births twins that power is halved, each of them only inheriting half the power.”  
He explained that many of these cultures would either kill them at birth, or raise them only to force them to fight each-other to the death, believing that the survivor would then gain the power of both twins.

“I'm more concerned about my brothers heart though if that's the case.”  
The anger had faded from Munin's voice, all that remained was concern, and exhaustion.  
“There's no need to worry. It wouldn't be the first time for Take, he knows how to handle it.”  
“And how is that?”  
“With acceptance and honesty. But it won't be easy, Take is a very physical person, affectionate and a teaser, if it comes to that it will be up to your brother to set the limits. But Take will remind him of that to make sure he does not overstep.”

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Obsidian Halls_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“If you guys are done gossiping I wouldn't mind some food to replenish what I spent.”  
Takeshi's low voice made them all startle slightly, and Knight realized that while he had allowed Emelie to feed of his aura and tended to her wounds he had completely forgotten to do the same for Takeshi.  
“Damn, sorry Alpha. I have done you wrong.”  
“No groveling needed, just get me some food.”  
Emelie nodded, grabbed Munin and pulled him toward the kitchen area.

Once they left the room Knight walked up to the bed and crawled onto it, offering his neck to Takeshi, both in apology, mindful of the still reforming balance, but also offering Takeshi to replenish himself from his blood.  
 _“Perhaps later, if I tapped into those powers it would effect my aura, and I don't know how Hugin here would react to that.”_  
Takeshi's right hand was still playing with the soft feathers that covered the base of Hugin's wings as he let his words flow across the bond.  
 _“How is he doing?”_  
Knight turned his attention to Hugin, trying to get a sense of his aura without disturbing him.  
 _“He's in a lot of pain and he's exhausted. I can keep his pain at bay, but I'm afraid it won't be the last time something like this happens.”_  
Takeshi's inner voice was subdued and held a taint of sadness and regret.  
 _“He was really struggling, trying to submit.”_  
Knight brought up what he had seen during the last struggle, allowing Takeshi to sift through the memories over the bond to allow him a better picture of the events.  
 _“Yeah, he was, but for some reason his instincts won't let him without one hell of a fight.”_  
 _“Might want to consider Munin's concerns. If Hugin recognizes you as a potential mate, maybe even a true mate that could be the cause.”_

“ _If I was supposed to be his true mate, wouldn't I recognize him as such as well?”_  
Takeshi was slightly confused, his knowledge about demonic mating was still rather limited.  
 _“And not Em?”_  
Knight's tone was equal parts teasing and curious.  
 _“Indeed...”  
“Not necessarily, there are different kinds of true mates, or match. The more common form of a true mate is simply someone that is an ideal match. Over the lifetime of a demon it's not uncommon to meet several beings that fit into that category.”  
_Knight continued to explain about soulmates, how they were different.  
They were the one being in existence that was the perfect match, but as the word implied, it was the perfect match for the soul, and it was common that soulmates didn't live at the same time. _  
“So a soul might have to reincarnate several times before even having a chance at meeting it's mate?”  
“Yes, for many species of demons finding one's soulmate is the only thing that can break a mating-bond.”  
_Takeshi considered Knight's explanation for a moment before speaking up. _  
_“Logan, why don't you go help the others with the food? I've got things covered here.”  
It might have sounded like a suggestion, but Knight knew better, it was an order, Takeshi wanted to be alone with Hugin for some reason.  
“Of course.”  
Knight nodded and exited the room.

“So, Hugin, how long are you going to pretend to be sleeping?”  
The black wings instantly tensed and Hugin tried to get up but the motion pulled a faint whimper of pain from him and he froze when Takeshi pushed down.  
“Easy there, you are not going anywhere until your wings have had a chance to heal enough for the pain to stop.”  
“That might take days, even weeks. The base of the wings won't heal easily.”  
There was a frustrated tone to Hugin's voice, but Takeshi also picked up on a tinge of fear.  
“I know. And I'm sorry I had to damage it as much as I did. But I guess you'll just have to get comfortable here.”  
Hugin gave him a resigned sigh.  
“And don't worry, I will stay here, keep the pain away so that you can rest and heal faster. No need to pretend to be sleeping for that.”  
Takeshi grinned as the teasing quip caused Hugin to splutter and chirp indignantly, confirming the suspicion that he had been pretending to sleep to be able to stay where he was and to keep Takeshi's hand where it was.  
“I'm going to let go for a while to check on the rest of that wing. Let me know if the pain becomes too much.”  
Hugin just nodded silently and Takeshi carefully moved his hand along the wing to the point where he had broken it, carefully applying pressure and feeling for any abnormal heat or swelling.

“Any soreness or discomfort?”  
“No.”  
“Good. It feels okay, but you should get one of your healers to have a closer look. I'm not sure we were able to get the bone set properly before it healed so there might be splintering or misalignments that I can't feel through the soft tissue covering it.”  
“It's okay, I would be able to feel it if something was wrong. Those with wings tend to develop a very keen sense for their condition. Though, I was pretty worried for a while...”  
Hugin's voice trailed of as he recalled the struggle, and the pain.  
“I'm truly sorry about that. I had to make you submit but I didn't want to actually harm you, by breaking the bone so close to the base I was able to confuse your senses, make you believe I had broken it at the base.”  
“I, I tried, you know. I just, I don't know why I couldn't.”  
“Don't worry, I know you tried. We will figure it out. With any luck we won't end up in quite such a dire need for submission again.”  
Takeshi let his hand slide back to the base of the wings and resumed the slow play with the soft feathers.

“How about I call Em in here and have her help getting you get seated so that you can eat comfortably?”  
“Can't you do it yourself, please?”  
“I could, but she knows more about wings, about how to move them without pain.”  
“I can handle pain, just, please...”  
Takeshi understood what he was trying to say, he understood pride, and needing to hide one's weakness.  
“The hard way it is then.”  
He helped Hugin to the edge of the bed before carefully arranging his wings into a relaxed position that did not cause him any pain.  
“Could you add a few more pillows, it still pulls a bit at the muscles.”  
Takeshi added a bit more height to the pile of pillows under Hugin's right wing and shifted them around until they took the entire weight of the wing.  
“I don't think this is going to work. There's not enough pillows left to support my left wing.”  
Hugin looked at the handful of pillows that remained in the pile in the middle of the bed.  
“Don't worry, I wasn't planning on using pillows for that.”  
Takeshi smiled and scuffled closer to to Hugin's side while carefully draping the wing across his shoulders before reaching behind him and placing his hand back at the base of the wings.  
“Comfortable?”  
“No, far from, but there's no pain.”  
“That will have to do then.”  
Takeshi nodded and pulled back his aura, telling the others they could come back into the bedroom with the food.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Obsidian Halls_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Please, I need to stretch my wings a bit.”  
Hugin complained softly when Takeshi's arm kept him from leaving the bed.  
“We'll see.”  
Takeshi didn't let him up right away, instead he carefully inspected the wings, and the break area for any hint of a problem and once satisfied he allowed him to get out of the bed and carefully flex his wings a bit, but the moment there was a slight wince of pain Takeshi was there, placing his hand against the base of the wings, or _mashen_ as they had taught him it was called in Urui.  
“Easy, don't overdo it. Here, place your wing over my shoulders to lessen the strain.”  
Hugin sighed, but did as Takeshi asked him and once the wing rested comfortably over Takeshi's shoulders he slowly stepped away, allowing the wing to stretch out while reducing the strain on the sensitive base.  
“That's better, isn't it?”  
“It is...”  
They repeated the exercise a few times before Hugin was satisfied that his muscles were not getting stiff from the lack of use.  
“Come here.”  
There was a surprised chirp when Takeshi began kneading the muscles in Hugin's shoulders, then carefully moved on to the flight muscles, then out toward the wings.  
The way he relaxed and the soft, involuntary chirps, told Takeshi that he was enjoying the treatment though.

“Take! Hugin! We're home!”  
Emelie's eager call announced their arrival, and gave Hugin a moment to collect himself before the others entered the bedroom.  
“Oh, good to see you up and about. Take, you better not let him overdo it.”  
“Don't worry, I won't. I think he is mostly healed now, just a bit stiff and sore.”  
“Good. And Hugin, you make sure to let Take give you a good massage, he's really good at it and it works wonders on stiff muscles. Helped me a lot while I was learning to fly and my flight muscles were developing.”  
“I'll consider it...”  
Takeshi knew that Emelie was aware of that he had already given Hugin a good rubdown, but her suggestion, that was more of a demand, would make it easier for Hugin to ask for it, or accept one being offered when the others were around.  
“You better or I might just snare you and let him have his way with you.”  
The instant pure black blush at the rather direct innuendo had Emelie snickering at Hugin and assuring him they wouldn't do anything inappropriate.

“I bought a lot of different meats, shellfish, and something I think is supposed to be some kind of squid. So how about we enjoy the garden for some good old BBQ tonight?”  
There was a hint of steel in Emelie's voice that told everyone that they better not try to raise any objections and everyone quickly scampered to help her prepare the food.  
Takeshi found himself unable to reach the cupboard with the serving trays as it was placed with an obsidian angel in mind but a moment later Munin was there and handed him the stack he was aiming for and he quickly whistled an approximation of the obsidian expression of gratitude.  
“You are learning really well. But you should try to raise the pitch slightly, a low pitch can be interpreted as shy, or apologetic.”  
Munin quickly gave him an example of the differences and Takeshi nodded before trying again, this time with a slightly higher pitch.  
“Almost perfect. For someone who does not possess the demonic language ability you have a remarkable ear for language.”  
This time Takeshi managed pretty well to add a touch of embarrassment to the gratitude which made Munin snort in amusement, being humble was not a very demonic trait, quite the opposite, and it amused the angels to no end to embarrass Takeshi by praising his accomplishments.  
The only reason he hadn't given them a good ass-whooping for it yet was that he needed to learn to hide his reaction in order to not draw undue attention.

With Takeshi's insistence that Hugin stay in bed until fully healed they had a lot of time on their hands, time that had been spent learning as much as they could of the obsidian language.  
They were unable to speak it for natural reasons, but they could approximate some of the simpler expressions such as gratitude, apology, confusion and such, as those were relatively simple sounds that could be mimicked reasonably well with a whistle.  
Both the brothers would often use caws in their speech as well, but that was a bit of an oddity, a dialect of sorts that was unique to those able to take the form of a raven.

“Hugin, I want you to promise me you will lay down if your mashen gives you any problems, got that?”  
“Yes alpha, I promise.”  
There was a distinct sigh in the words, but he promised nonetheless, well aware that Takeshi would not let him sit at all if he didn't, and understanding that Takeshi was only acting on his instincts to protect, and apologize for having been the one to cause the damage in the first place.  
“Cheeky little...”  
Takeshi flashed his fangs at Hugin before letting him up so he could join the others in the garden.

“Take, are you falling for Hugin?”  
Emelie's question made him startle slightly as she had managed to sneak up on him.  
“Honestly, I don't know. I **am** attracted to him though.”  
“So, you have a type after all...”  
She teased softly.  
“Hmm? Do I?”  
“Mhm, you definitely have a type. Streetsmart, good looking in a somewhat roguish way, but not very masculine by human standards, and a touch of shy. Just like our sweet little Dan.”  
Her words made him pause, and he realized she was right, most of the males he had been attracted to over the years fitted into that description, Knight was a bit of an oddity and was probably because they were so much alike in their teasing and need for closeness.  
“I guess I do...”  
“And to further prove that, you're not feeling any attraction to Munin, are you?”  
“No, but he's good looking, quite naturally, and I wouldn't mind bedding him if he offered.”  
Takeshi paused for a moment and studied her in silence.  
“But you find him attractive, don't you?”  
“Yeah, I do. I always had a thing for bookworms and those who are good at teaching. And well, tall, dark and handsome doesn't make him any less attractive...”  
The cliché line made Takeshi snort and break down laughing, and a moment later she was laughing as well as the walked into the garden to join the others.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Obsidian Halls_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Can we please get going now?”  
Hugin was being antsy as Takeshi had finally agreed to going out to let Hugin test his wings.  
“Easy, were coming.”  
“I have waited a week! I'm not gonna have any flight muscles left if I wait any longer...”

Takeshi had kept Hugin confined to the huge bed for a full week, local time, which was equivalent to about 2 weeks earth time as the obsidian halls had a 50 hour day, before allowing him to test his wings to make sure that there was no lingering pain or adverse effects to his flight.  
Munin had assured Takeshi that there would be no problems since he hadn't caused any damage to the bones or tendons of the mashen, only pierced the skin and done minor damage to the muscle, but Takeshi refused to take any chances much to Hugin's frustration.

Takeshi was feeling slightly nervous and had all his senses focused on Hugin as the angel spread his wings and flapped them a few times before leaping into the air and raising quickly with a few powerful beats of the large wing.  
“See? I'm fine.”  
Hugin spread his wings wide after landing and gave them a quick rustle to settle the feathers before folding them tightly behind him.  
“I would still prefer if you let a healer look at them.”  
Takeshi placed his hand at the base of the folded wings and carefully felt for any signs of stress or pain.  
“Please, don't make me do that...”  
Hugin's tone was subdued, he would obey if Takeshi ordered it, but he didn't like it.  
“Don't worry, I won't as long as you promise you will take it easy and let me know if anything feels off. I do have a pretty good idea what a busted wing can do to a flier.”  
Hugin quickly promised, even going as far as shifting his wings into a submissive pose.  
Takeshi accepted his promise and rewarded it with one of his own.

“Now, how about you boys show us what you do for fun around here?”  
Takeshi called out as he gave the base of Hugin's wings one last brush and a gentle pat.  
“It's a bit early for the fun stuff, but we could check the market, maybe drop by the library.”  
“Hey! The library is fun...”  
Munin instantly jumped at Hugin's hint that the library was not on the _fun_ list.  
Takeshi had a pretty good grasp of the brothers personalities after spending a week doing very little other than talking, and observing.  
Munin was the bookworm, he studied and trusted his raw knowledge to get him through whatever he faced, your typical _By the book_ kind of guy.  
Hugin on the other hand was the savvy, _By the seat of his pants_ kind of guy, he trusted his wit and was able to quickly get a grasp on an unfamiliar situation and find a way out of it.  
Both were master tacticians, each in their own style and Takeshi was sure their personalities would reflect in their fighting styles as well and he was eager for an opportunity to spar with them.

“But we have already been to the market, or well everyone but Take...”  
“Oh, that was just a small neighborhood market. I was thinking of the main market square over in the trade district.”  
“That was a small market?!”  
Emelie's tone had everyone laughing, she had clearly considered the local market just outside the palace proper to be a large one.  
“Mhm. The main market is several times larger and carried a wide range of imported goods as well as local products.”  
“So the market first, then the library.”  
Takeshi quickly suggested before the conversation derailed any further.”  
“Sounds like a plan, let's go.”  
Hugin agreed with Takeshi and everyone nodded, except for Emelie who looked slightly panicked.  
“Not so fast boys, I need to get changed! I am not going to the main market dressed like this.”  
She was wearing one of her old outfits and insisted on changing to one of the new ones that Munin had helped her shop for.  
“Oh, eager to show off what we bought?”  
Munin was laughing at her refusal to wear her usual clothes to the market as she had never shown any signs of being fashion conscious before.  
“Mhm.”  
“Well I'm curious as you haven't bothered to show me what you bought.”  
Takeshi's teasing quip made her blush vividly before snapping back at him that if he didn't hurry he wouldn't get a chance to see it today either.

Takeshi had to agree that the demon outfit she had bought looked extremely good on her, it was clearly designed for succubi as it took her wings and tail into consideration while enhancing the allure of her body.  
“Mmm, makes me want to skip this outing altogether and have another kind of fun...”  
“Oh no you don't!”  
“Aw, please?”  
“Forget it!”  
The teasing exchange had everyone snickering at them.  
“You know, you really should show off your entire form, including those amazing horns of yours.”  
Hugin's suggestion made Emelie pause and look at the angels, curious to see if they would finally explain why they seemed so fascinated with her horns.  
“Indeed, for a Shirai to have grown a second pair even before her presentation is rare, and a sign of great power.”  
Munin finally gave her a clue what it was all about, but it only made her more confused.  
“What do you mean grow another pair? I've always had two pairs of horns.”  
“What?!”  
“Really?”  
Emelie's question had both angels staring at her with wide eyes.  
“That's amazing.”  
“Indeed, you will be a proper little monster after Lady Lilith grants you your full power.”  
“Wait, does this mean I can grow more horns?”  
“Mhm, up to five pairs is not unheard of in a strong succubus Lilim.”  
“Aw crap, how the hell am I supposed to fix my hair then!?”

The somewhat unexpected complaint had everyone breaking down in laughter and Emelie chased them out the door with an annoyed hiss.

 

 


	3. Killing Time

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Killing Time_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Take, Logan. Check this place out!”  
Emelie called from the front of a small store at the corner of the large market square where she was carefully hovering to get a good look at the wares on display, being very short, by human standards made it a bit tricky to shop in a market made for freakishly tall angels, everything was adapted for their average height of 4,5 to 5 meters.  
“Oh, you found something interesting?”  
Takeshi sauntered up behind her to see what it was she had found.  
“I'm not sure if it's a florist, a pet shop or a pharmacy.”  
“I'd say it's all of those and then some.”  
Hugin quipped from the sidelines.

Takeshi had to agree with that assessment, in front of the store was several stalls filled with various goods, dried plants hung from the beams that held up the cloth that shaded the collection of jars and boxes that covered the wooden tables.  
At the sides bunches of fresh plants sat in small water containers and there were several cages with live animals, or rather, lesser demons, even a few small fish-tanks holding aquatic creatures.  
He could also see various rune-stones and crystals pulsing with power.

“Let's look inside.”  
Emelie chirped as she landed on Takeshi's shoulders.  
Once inside they found a lot more caged creatures and a wide selection of potted plants and herbs.  
“Oh, something smells amazing!”  
Emelie was sniffing around, trying to find where the scent came from and Takeshi took a careful sniff which had him instantly sneezing.  
“Plenty of something smells alright.”  
He complained between snorts, trying to get the strong scents out of his sensitive nose which made the others chuckle at him.

“Oh, I found it!”  
Emelie leaned toward what looked like a mix between a hoya and a grape wine, it had the same coloring as all the other plants they had seen since arriving in the Obsidian Halls, purple and black leaves, white flowers and silver berries.  
It had the waxy flowers and leaves of the hoya, but it grew like a grape wine and a few of the clusters of flowers had developed into silver grapes.  
“Em, I wouldn't smell those flowers to much, that looks like a _Shiiza_ plant.”  
Knight cautioned her.  
“It is a shiiza.”  
Munin confirmed Knight's suspicion.  
“What is that, and why shouldn't I smell it?”  
“Shiiza is a very rare plant, and every part of it, including the scent of the flowers acts like a very potent lust inducer.”  
Munin continued the explanation and Takeshi found it to be rather interesting, and it had the potential to be a lot of fun.  
“Sounds interesting, could you ask the shopkeeper how much it would cost to buy it please?”  
There was a quick conversation in the melodious language of their kind, but before Munin had a chance to name the price Emelie interrupted them.  
“And this bird, we are buying this bird as well.”

Emelie held up a small cage, no larger than a pint jug with a tiny black bird inside.  
The shopkeeper obviously did not like that as she walked out from behind the counter and made a grab for the cage.  
“Reserved. No sale!”  
She spoke in broken Urui trying to get Emelie to hand over the case, but much to Takeshi's surprise Emelie refused to hand over the cage, instead she bared her fangs with a hiss.  
“We are buying this. If whoever reserved it has anything to say they can come talk to me about it.”  
 _“Em? What's going on?”  
“I don't know, I just know I can't leave here without this bird. Please Take, help me!”  
_A moment later Emelie withdrew from the bond when the shopkeeper made another grab for the cage only to back off when Emelie pulled on her full power and flared her wings.  
“Hugin, Munin, she's not going to back off on this, can you try work something out please?  
In the end the shopkeeper agreed to sell them the bird, but not until after Hugin had hinted to her that it might not be such a good idea to upset a Shirai Lilim, who also happened to be an honored guests of their Lord.  
Takeshi could tell that Hugin and Munin were still upset about something though.

“So, how much does she want for the plant and the bird?”  
“10 measures of gold for the plant, 50 for the food which she demands you take of her hands, 100 for the cage and 500 measures for the creature.”  
“How much is a measure of gold?”  
“It's 1.9 of your grams.”  
Munin quickly listed the prices and values.  
 _“But the price is outrageous. Even for such rare items.”_  
Munin added silently.  
 _“No kidding, that's 1254 grams of gold...”  
“I can have it sent from the royal treasury. We are after all under orders to see to the Shirai Lilim's __**every**_ _comfort.”  
“No need, I have plenty of gold.”_  
Reaching within the shift he brought 40 of his gold bullions out from his soul and placed them on the counter.  
“That is just over 654 measures of gold, I strongly suggest you take it without complaints.”  
The shopkeeper quickly grabbed the gold before glaring at Takeshi and the others.  
“No refund! No blame me when client come take beast.”  
The shopkeeper pushed the planter into Takeshi's hands and Knight took the big bag of food as they were more or less chased out of the store.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Killing Time_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

They spent a few more hours at the market before returning to their apartment with their purchases, everything was quickly unpacked and Takeshi used one of the Sanctuary crystals to create a large aviary for the bird.  
“We need to get some nice plants for it, a small tree, maybe some plants it can eat...”  
Emelie was going all out mother hen over the chirping little feather puff.  
“We will find something Em, don't worry. At least it's out of that pathetic cage now.”  
Though the bird was tiny, so was the cage, it was barely large enough for it to spread it's wings and when sitting on the single perch it's tail-feathers almost touched the floor of the cage and the dome of the cage started at eye-level.  
With the small bird comfortable Takeshi took a closer look at it and found that calling it a _bird_ wasn't very accurate, it was more lizard than bird, it looked very much like a smaller version of what a microraptor would have looked like when it was alive.  
The creature was covered with shimmering black feathers with a bit of an oil-slick effect to them and the beak was filled with tiny, sharp, teeth, it's head crowned by a feather crest, much like a cockatoo and the feathered legs were acting as a second pair of wings.  
“Em, I don't think this one eats much plants, it looks a bit predatory.”  
Takeshi teased when it snapped after his finger.  
“Maybe buy some small mice or bugs for it to hunt?”

She was obviously set on decorating the aviary with every comfort possible.  
“I'm sure we will find something.”

They still had quite a few hours left before the nightlife of the Obsidian Halls would wake up so they headed toward the library.  
“You wouldn't happen to have some ABC books?”  
Takeshi asked Munin while slowly flipping through the pages of a beautiful, hand copied, manuscript.  
“What's an _ABC_ book?”  
“Sorry, can't seem to remember if I learned a word for it, my mastery of this language is still a bit lacking.”  
“Your mastery of the language is excellent, you even manage the sub-harmonics, something that many demons fail, even among those who has _Urui_ as their first language.”  
Hearing the name of the language always brought a wistful smile to Takeshi's face, _Urui_ was his mother's favorite vegetable and when in season it would be served in everything from the crispy bites in fresh salads, to tempura and and as slightly slimy bits in stir-fry, shaking the memory away he quickly explained.  
“It's a simple text for teaching children how to read. I would love a chance to learn to read and write this rune-script. I will never be able to learn the spoken language properly due to some rather natural limitations, but if I can learn to read and write I could at least communicate.”  
Placing the leather-bound tome back on the shelf he continued.  
“And being able to read I might be able to study things like your methods of healing, anatomy of winged demons, how to take care of, and prevent wing injuries.”  
“If you want to learn about healing we could talk to the healers at the training grounds tomorrow, I'm sure they wouldn't mind teaching you a bit. Though, you seem more like a warrior than a healer to me.”  
Munin seemed a bit surprised by Takeshi's desire to learn about healing, but Hugin had a knowing smile and began to point out the value of such knowledge.

He mentioned that knowing the art of healing would allow small wounds to be treated without the need to retreat to find a healer, a larger wound could be bound, or a broken bone set so that it would not heal wrong while the warrior was able to keep moving until they found a suitable time to seek out a healer.  
An otherwise fatal injury could be stabilized long enough for the victim to survive until a proper healer could treat them or their natural healing had a chance to kick in.  
But it also had a darker use, it would let those fighting know if a fellow warrior was to gravely injured to be saved so that they could end their suffering.  
It would allow a warrior to cause injuries that would slow down and drain resources while not being severe enough for the enemy to give up on the injured, when questioning prisoners it helped to know how to inflict the most pain, without actually doing serious harm.  
“But I suspect your true reason is to gain further knowledge that could help you protect your precious Emelie, and perhaps some day in the future, little winged spawns of hers.”  
Takeshi could feel the immediate drop in Emelie's mood, the topic of children was a sore spot for her.  
 _“Hugin, that topic is off limits!”  
_ Takeshi's thoughts carried a sharp edge. _  
“Apologies. Mind letting me know why?”  
“Emelie wants children, a lot. But she knows how hard it is for Lilim to conceive, and that their females have a very high miscarriage rate, especially with a human male. We don't know if I am changed enough to reduce that risk and she does not want to have to live through trying and failing over and over so she has chosen to completely suppress her fertility, and I do the same when I'm with her.”_  
 _“I'm sorry...”  
“You didn't know, but try to remember it from now on.”  
“Of course.”_

“I don't think we have any books like the ones you seek, but I could try teaching you myself.”  
Munin had been silently considering Takeshi's request during Hugin's explanation, and the following silent conversation.  
“But it might be harder than you think. Unlike the languages of the human realm, and most demon languages our runes do not represent just sounds, but rather entire words, concepts and ideas.”  
“Sounds similar to my native Japanese, we have three different scripts and from your description and the look of these books I believe your runes may be similar to our Kanji where a character may represent a single word, or an entire idea. And several symbols can be read in the same way, but each have a different meaning, like for names.”  
“That does sound similar, I will try my best to teach you then.”  
Munin didn't seem too sure about the whole idea though.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Killing Time_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

They were still sleeping off a long evening and night of partaking in the local entertainment when loud banging at their door disturbed their rest.  
Munin left the bedding and there was a loud conversation in the language of the Obsidian Halls, the discordant sounds gave away the mood of the conversation.  
“It's the customer who had reserved the creature you purchased and he is demanding you return it to him.”  
“I don't think so!”  
Emelie hissed and climbed out of the bed to join Munin, to defend her claim on the tiny feathered lizard.  
“She is mine, I will not hand her over!”  
“Lilim?!”  
The stranger croaked when he spotted her.  
“Shirai Lilim!”  
Munin's voice was harsh and demanding, and for once Emelie didn't object to the title.  
The young male was quickly bowing and apologizing but the way he looked at her when she wasn't watching had both Takeshi and Knight growling, and when he offered to see to that the gold they had paid for it was returned there was no doubt he was trying to garner her favor.

“ _The boy is a fool, he is making promises in hope of securing courting rights without making sure there are rights to be had.”_  
Hugin's tone was a mix between amusement and pity.  
 _“Care to explain!?”_  
Takeshi was struggling to maintain control, so his request came out as a harsh demand, rather than the question he intended it to be, he did not like the implications of Hugin's words.  
 _“Until she has been introduced she is considered a numirial, a minor, and unable to grant courting-rights herself. While she may be physically old enough to be courted, there are no formal courting-rights to give before a Lilim has been introduced. As her alpha the right to accept, or refuse a courting is currently yours, once she is introduced those rights become hers. And even if you were to accept it, a courting could not start until after her introduction.”_  
The look Takeshi gave Hugin was a rather obvious _Hell No!_ and the angel just smiled, knowing well what the answer would be.  
 _“No need for Take to turn him down until he has given back the coins, right?”_  
Emelie's teasing words made it clear that Munin had explained the same thing to her.  
 _“That's right. He made his promises to you, but your alpha has no obligation to grant him courting-rights in return, but the fool is obliged to keep his word to you either way.”_  
Munin's thoughts carried an almost gleeful amusement.

Two days later the male returned with the 40 gold bullions that Takeshi had used to buy the creature, and the plants.  
He was rather upset when Takeshi refused him the courting-rights he wanted, but he did calm down somewhat when he realized that Emelie had not been brought before Lilith yet and he left with a promise that he would return to court her once she had been introduced.  
Munin scolded Emelie a bit for not letting the male know she had no intentions of allowing him to court her, but the words lost their edge as he was struggling, and failing, to suppress his laughter.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Killing Time_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

They had been warned that it might take quite some time before they were allowed to meet with the Lord and at times Takeshi found himself having to forcefully remind himself that time moved differently here, that as far as those left behind knew it had only been a month since they lost contact with Angel, not nearly a year.  
They spent most of their time studying and training, learning to harness the wast energies of the demon-realm and Takeshi was happy to see that training with other fliers had boosted Emelie's confidence in her flight.  
She was no longer worried about dropping things and she was giving the trainers a run for their money as her agility increased drastically.  
He did feel a slight pang of loss though, as her confidence grew her habit of wrapping her tail around his wrist diminished and he found himself missing the contact.

Takeshi was feeling a strong urge to pace as they waited for the Master Hunter to decide if they were to be allowed to formally join the group of young demons who were currently training to become hunters.  
They had spent quite a bit of time training with the hunters and all of them enjoyed the company, the accomplished hunters were laid back, and only judged people based on their skills, they didn't care about their blood.  
“I believe they are done now.”  
Takeshi turned to the last student hoping to join them, a shadow demon that he found rather interesting.  
His own Beast had told him it was a shadeling, a species of greater shadow demons, like many other greater shadows it didn't actually have a physical form and the form he was seeing, and interacting with, was an intentional manifestation and solidification of their energies.  
What made Takeshi so curious, apart from the obvious interest that the demon was showing, was the fact that shadelings didn't have sexes, they were neither male nor female, and yet all shadelings were able to reproduce, both becoming pregnant, and making other pregnant, including females of other species.  
This shadeling appeared mostly male though and he found it hard not to refer to them as a male because of it, but fortunately they didn't seem to mind.

“Ah, it would seem you are correct.”  
Takeshi spotted the Master Hunter and his assistant walking their way.  
“Gather up younglings.”  
The quickly did as asked and there was an eager tension in the air as they waited for the verdict.  
“Normally I would not take new students this late, but all of you have shown to be quick learners, and you clearly already know a lot of what I am teaching the others, so you will be permitted to join them.”  
“Thank you Huntsmaster.”  
They all bowed to the old angel and a moment later found them selves ushered toward the training grounds, the old master was not one for wasting time.

The training to become a hunter was physically demanding and the huntsmaster could tell that Takeshi was holding back and he did not like it, but he did seem to understand that there was more to it than laziness.  
“Takeshi, come with me please.”  
“Yes Huntsmaster.”.  
He was brought into a small study and as the door closed he could feel privacy wards activating.  
“Will you tell me why you are holding back.”  
“May I have you word that you will not tell anyone of my reasons, or the fact that I **am** holding back?”  
“You have my word, but based on you answer I may ask you to leave.”  
“Understandable.”  
With a deep breath Takeshi began explaining why he wanted to hide his true ability and the old hunter nodded and hummed.  
“Seeking to protect a potential mate among creatures with a wide range of powers you have little knowledge of. It is indeed excellent thinking to keep your abilities hidden, and a most worthy reason. But I would request that I be given a chance to see your true ability, away from prying eyes.”  
“Agreed.”  
They had been prepared for the need to reveal his abilities to at least a few individuals and the huntsmaster did have valid concern about Takeshi's strength, he needed to know the ability of each trainee in order to assess if they were ready to hunt or not.

“Ah, this will be _most_ interesting.”  
Takeshi found himself matched up with the shadeling for his next training session, though they were training to be hunters there was quite a bit of sparring involved as it improved both strength, reflexes and ability to read your target.  
The tone of the shadeling's voice told Takeshi he could probably expect some wandering hands during the upcoming wrestling match, but he didn't really mind, his appetite for anything remotely sexual had been unusually high lately and testing the shadeling a bit might prove to be every bit as interesting as they suggested.  
At first they circled each other for a while, then the shadeling pounced and knocked Takeshi to the ground, the damned thing was surprisingly heavy, but that didn't deter him, instead he focused on altering his position so he could buck his opponent off.  
As the match grew more intense there was quite a few teasing quips and catcalls as it became pretty obvious they weren't just testing each others skill and power as wrestlers, but as potential bed mates as well.  
Though, when the shadeling, who had the dominant edge of an alpha, leaned in and licked his neck Takeshi's own alpha nature rebelled and with a growl he sent the shadeling flying and a moment later he was on top with a clawed hand around their throat, not that it would do any good if they decided to abandon their corporeal form.  
“I yield young alpha.”  
There was a knowing smile playing on their features and it made Takeshi huff before accepting the surrender and pulling them to their feet.

“You really can't help yourself, can you?”  
Emelie teased softly as Takeshi joined them.  
“I respond well to curiosity. But if you have any objections I will rein myself in.”  
“Nah, they seem like a decent enough type. And I trust you. I'm a bit concerned about Hugin though, he's obviously fallen for you.”  
“He's a demon, and a beta, he understands.”  
“Perhaps, but you better do right by him and explain if needed.”  
“I will love, I promise.”  
The fact that she was stepping up and acting more alpha made him very happy, and proud of her, but he fell silent as her words brought his thoughts to his relationship with Hugin, which was complicated at best.  
They had quickly grown close and Takeshi considered the angel a very close friend, and the way Hugin allowed, and even sought out, Takeshi's touch told him that he felt the same as it was acts that were considered rather intimate, reserved for family and the most trusted of friends.  
But it had quickly become obvious that Hugin was terrified of acknowledging or acting on the sexual tension that was building between them, even a simple kiss would trigger a reaction of fear that threw Takeshi's instincts into a tizzy.

“Guys will you be okay without me for a while? I need to speak with my annoying backseat driver.”  
“Of course, take all the time you need.”  
“We'll be fine, I might take a bite out of Logan though, I am feeling a tad peckish.”  
Emelie's teasing assurance made Knight huff, and the others laugh.  
“We will keep watch over your pack so they feed and rest.”  
They had all noticed him growing increasingly high strung without any apparent reason, and it was starting to affect the balance and well being of the pack.

 

.·:*¨¨*:·. Mindscape.·:*¨¨*:·.

“No more silences or half truths Beast. You **will** tell me what is wrong with our instincts! I will not tolerate your love for theatrics to put the pack at risk.”  
The outright scolding had the Beast visibly mollified as is slunk toward him, body low against the ground in shame.  
“I'm sorry alpha.”  
“Talk!”  
“We are about to enter our first heat...”  
All he could do was stare at the black creature that shared his soul.  
“What?”  
“We are going into heat.”  
“I heard you just fine...”  
He sat down heavily and leaned against one of the trees of his inner world and moments later he found himself with a large, black, head in his lap.  
It was unusual for the beast to be so forward, and calm, it would seem it was unsettled as well.  
“What does this mean for us?”  
“Our instincts are going haywire, especially anything related to sex, or mating. Just like how Logan lost control, so will we eventually, and when we do, we **will** claim Em as our mate if we haven't already.”  
“But she can't formally court until after her presentation. They could challenge the mating.”  
“I know.”  
“Is there anything we can do?”  
“Since it's our first heat it can be suppressed for a lot longer than normal. If you are willing to suffer some discomfort, and a heavy drain on your power, I will suppress the heat.”  
“If it's a discomfort for me, how will it be for you?”  
“Very painful, but protecting pack is worth it. And a chance to court and earn a mate like her, worth it a hundred times over.”  
“Mmm, she is amazing isn't she.”  
“She is...”  
“Is she my soulmate?”  
“I don't know.. I should be able to tell but I can't.”  
“How come?”  
“We are an amalgamation of souls, a chimera, we have yet to truly awaken and find our balance, and she is still a juvenile, yet to awaken to her true power, chances are we won't be able to recognize a soulmate unless both we, and them, are fully awakened.”  
“And what about Hugin?”  
“I can feel his soul calling to us, he would make a good mate. As would the shadeling. But none of them come close to her...”  
The almost swooning quality to the Beast's words made Takeshi snicker and tweak its ear.

“By the way, I have been meaning to ask. Ever since we entered the Obsidian Halls your presence within me has been changing, You feel more, I don't know, more human, less animal?”  
“I guess that would make sense, as I said, we are incomplete. I have been more like a shadow beast, a lesser shadow, but as you no doubt already suspect I am in fact a greater shadow, I have simply not had the energy needed to develop.”  
“But now you do.”  
“Now I do. But I won't change all that much. My personality will remain the same, and my form won't change, but my ability for higher reasoning will improve, as will our access to shadow powers.”  
Takeshi found it oddly relaxing to talk to the Beast while having its head in his lap, gently brushing his fingers through the black fur, occasionally scratching or gently tweaking the expressive ears which made the tail thump faster.  
“You know, we have a few days off soon, maybe we should head out somewhere where I can let you out to play for a while.”  
Takeshi was surprised when the Beast froze slightly, then sighed heavily and sagged into a boneless heap, usually a promise to be allowed out to play would have it bouncing around like a puppy on a sugar rush and it made him pause.  
“What's the matter?”  
“If you allow me to rise, we will go into heat immediately.”  
“I guess that's off the books for a while then.”  
“Indeed.”  
The beast sounded so much like himself it made Takeshi laugh.  
“I can always run with you in here if you want to.”  
“As much as I would like that, we can risk my focus slipping in the rush of the hunt. But this, resting like this, can we do it again?”  
“Of course.”

“I need to head back to the others, you promise to tell me right away if there are any problems or anything that might set off the heat.”  
“I will, alpha.”  
The Beast acknowledging him as the dominant alpha felt strange, but it also made him relax, soothed his instincts.

 

.·:*¨¨*:·. End Mindscape.·:*¨¨*:·.

 

Takeshi spent what felt like several hours with the Beast before rousing himself from the meditative state and the moment he did he was faced with four pairs of curious eyes, or well, technically five as Emelie's little lizard thing was watching him as well.  
“How did it go, did it have any insights to offer?”  
“A few. I think we will manage okay from now on.”  
The expectant looks he was getting told him they wanted him to elaborate, but he didn't feel ready for that so he shook his head slowly.  
“Please...”  
“Okay, but do try to remember to share when you feel ready.”  
“I'll try.”  
Picking up on his lingering mood from the somewhat odd encounter with the beast they all moved closer, even Hugin and Munin, and Takeshi felt a strong sense of joy when Hugin flicked his wings slightly, silently asking to be touched.  
He smiled when he noticed that Munin was allowing Emelie to brush her fingers through his wings as well, even if she wasn't touching the mashed it was a good sign that the angels were adapting to pack life, something Takeshi very much liked.  
He was hoping to be able to convince them to come with them to the human realm when they left, though that would require him being able to convince the lord of the place to release them from their duties.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Killing Time_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

They were gathered at the training grounds together with the other prospects as the huntsmaster was about to announce who would be joining the upcoming hunt to do their final exam, to try to take down a grown gong on their own.  
Takeshi's pride surged when Emelie's name was called and she was handed a simple blade, the only weapon allowed on the hunt, and the sign that she had been selected.  
There was no surprise that Knight was selected, he was already an accomplished hunter, he had merely joined the other students to offer his knowledge, and gain formal recognition as a hunter of the Obsidian Halls as that would reflect well on Takeshi and Emelie and raise the social standing of Pack Kiryu.  
“Imora-Ieri, and finally, Kiryu-Iero.”  
Takeshi breathed a sigh of relief as his name was called along with the shadeling who was looking somewhat smug after winning a bet with a few of the other students who had bet against Takeshi being selected for the first hunt.

Once the cheering had settled down Takeshi approached the shadeling.  
“I do believe someone owes me a nice little something.”  
Takeshi gave the pile of gold, crystals and parchment slips a pointed look.  
“Ah, yes, I did make quite a profit from your abilities.  
They quickly sorted through the pile before taking one of the parchment slips which promised the holder the right to have a top quality hunting bow and arrows crafted free of charge.  
“This one should suit you nicely.”  
“Indeed, thank you Imora-Ieri.”  
The slight widening of the pupils and hint of a gasp when Takeshi intentionally brushed his fingers against the slightly cool hand was telling, especially since every aspect of the shadeling's form was controlled, intentional, meaning they had willed the reaction, intentionally showing it to him.  
They had displayed interest and attraction on more than one occasion, and the Beast told him that the way it was altering its form was also a way of signaling interest, trying to find a form that Takeshi found desirable.

“Take, Logan, would you come with me please.”  
The Master Hunter quickly asked Takeshi and Knight to join him in his study.”  
“Yes Huntsmaster?”  
“This hunt requires everyone to be airborne, and since Logan is flightless, and you do not wish to reveal your abilities you will have to come with me to the roost and select mounts who can carry you on the trip. And before you ask, yes you can bring the rest of your pack.”  
“Thank you Huntsmaster.”  
“I have a good feeling about you younglings, I believe you will prove yourself well. And Logan of the Lost Mountain, I have heard of your skills as a hunter and your desire to aid, and prove yourself for the good of your pack, is admirable.”

The roost was was basically a stable for the large demonic peregrines that were used by the hunters as mounts, they were quick and highly intelligent, making them good mounts, and partners for the flightless hunters, but they were also stubborn and high spirited, making it a bit of a chore to find a good match between rider and mount.  
“Come, meet them, let them chose.”  
The stable master in lack for better words was a peregrine demon as well, though a greater demon with humanoid features and he quickly urged them into the large structure to meet his birds.  
“Ah, they can feel you are something different from what they are used to, it may not be so easy to find one who will carry you.”  
True to the demon's word only the largest, oldest, of the birds allowed Takeshi to come close without showing fear, and a relatively small, young, female was the only one to tolerate Knight, but they eventually managed to get along well enough for the stable master to permit them to borrow the birds.

“Come on Take! Hurry, or the hunting party will leave us behind.”  
Emelie's cheerful calls brought Takeshi from his musings and he quickly took the reins of his mount and with a smooth motion he jumped up on its back and quickly settled into a kneeling position on the saddle, looking over his shoulder he easily located Knight and his smaller bird.  
Knight's steed would be spending the next few months living the life of a pampered stud at the royal stables where Hugin and Munin's uncle was stable master, and in charge of the breeding of the demonic steeds, the uncle would also see to the care of Emelie's little lizard.  
Shifting slightly Takeshi made sure he had a good seat before securing the straps that would keep him in the saddle even if the bird had to bank hard, dive or even turn upside down if they were attacked, something the hunters had told him was a rather frequent occurrence.

“Up!”  
The single word was all that was needed to spur the large bird to take flight, a quick rustle of feathers and off they went.  
Once they were in the air Kiryu jumped from his shoulder and allowed her form to grow, she would protect Emelie who like the other winged hunters had no mount.  
“Logan, feeling alright there?”  
Takeshi grinned as he watched Knight's mount roll and bank as if trying to toss him.  
“I'm fine, she's a bit high spirited, it's her first hunt. But I can handle her.”  
“I can understand how she feels, getting a bit of a rush myself.”  
Takeshi had trained with the other young hunters, catching and killing the smaller baby and juvenile gong, learning all he could about them, he was confident that he would be able to borrow their form if needed.  
He knew that killing an adult without revealing his shape-shifting or his blades would not be easy, his only weapons other than his claws would be a simple short-sword that reminded him of a Xipos that had been forged for him as proof of him earning his right to join the hunters, and his tanto.

Every part of the large creature was valuable, organs, hide, even the blood so the goal was to kill it with as little damage as possible, the preferred method was to get on its back and use a sword to sever the spinal-cord in the neck.  
But it was not such an easy task as it might sound, each vertebra of the beast's spine had three protruding, flat growths, one short facing up toward the head that fitted between two facing down toward the tail, the outer one was longer than the inner one and together they formed a structure similar to a bridle joint and acted like a scale armor to protect the spinal-cord.  
Add intelligence, speed, flexibility, vicious claws and teeth, and a powerful tail with razor-sharp scales oozing with a paralytic venom to the mix and you were in for one hell of a fight, and a world of hurt if you didn't stay on your toes.

They flew the entire day, only stopping at a river to allow the peregrine demons to drink some water and catch what looked like the nightmare child of an octopus and a lamprey, but the two giant birds made quick work of the writhing mass of tentacles and teeth.  
The hunters would eat the simple pemmican style bars they carried in small bags attached to their belts next to the water-skin, the dried meat, berries and fruits mixed with nuts, herbs and rendered fat was an excellent source of energy.  
The short night was spent resting among the crevices of a steep cliff, huddling together, wrapped among feathered wings for protection from the cold winds they all appreciated the shelter and warmth provided by Kiryu's large form when she curled against the cliff.  
Takeshi had grown to enjoy the company of the hunters, they took pride in the skills, but they lacked the arrogance that many of the guards and warriors suffered from.  
To join the guards the recruits had to fell an adult gong, but only the best were allowed to remain as hunters and learn to hunt not only the gong, but other, far more dangerous, and profitable prey.  
Takeshi smiled when Emelie complained about the cold and curled tightly into his side before grabbing Hugin's wing and pulling it over herself as a comforter.  
Hugin just sighed and shifted his position slightly so that the new position of his wing was more comfortable.  
“You know you don't have to accommodate her if you don't want to...”  
Takeshi's teasing words to Hugin caused Emelie to hiss slightly and dig her claws into his sides.  
“I don't think she agrees.”  
Hugin mused while casting a glance toward his brother who was trying to tease one of the healer's young assistants into joining him for the night.

“Look, the plains!”  
Emelie was flying next to Takeshi and pointed toward the horizon where the dense mountain forest gave way for tall grass and open flatland.  
Takeshi could see the large stone pillar, which looked very much like a table, that would be their home for the next few weeks, the adult gong were far too aggressive and territorial for them to be able to camp on the ground and the forest held its own dangers.  
The first few days would be spent setting up camp, resting from the flight, hunting some of the smaller, easier prey, and collecting some of the abundance of fruits, nuts, berries and mushrooms that grew in the forest.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Killing Time_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Younglings, gather around!”  
The huntsmaster called for those that were to be tested this hunt, in all there was Takeshi, Emelie, Knight, the shadeling, and four obsidian angels, as the huntsmaster spoke Emelie made herself comfortable on Knight's shoulders, using his head as an armrest and a quick glance to the side revealed the profile of a rather lazy looking Takeshi.

The way he leaned against a large rock, arms crossed and one knee bent, looked almost careless, bored, the way the hood of the cloak he was wearing was pulled down over his eyes and even his aura reflected the same illusion but Knight could feel the sharp attention over the bond.  
Half listening to the huntsmaster he thought back to how his Alpha had won the cloak he was currently wearing, one of the hunters had challenged him to a competition with throwing knives after seeing Takeshi asking the blacksmith to craft a set of darts to help Emelie practice her throwing skills, Takeshi's own throwing needles were too large for her so the balance was off.  
And in the spur of the moment he had decided to have a dart set crafted so that they could all play during their long wait.  
Takeshi had won the challenge and demanded a fur cloak similar to the one the hunter was wearing as his price, the hunter was a skilled tanner and leather-worker and had turned the hide of one of the young gong that Takeshi killed into an exquisite piece of clothing.  
Takeshi had been very satisfied with the quality of the work and had requested two more to be made, taking full advantage of the hunters knowledge about how to craft the items with wings taken into account.  
The price he had offered was downright outrageous, Takeshi had offered the hunter to keep every part of the two gongs that wasn't used for the cloaks and soon after they all had similar cloaks and Knight found that he was glad they did, nights were cold on the plains.  
Knight was brought out of his thoughts when the others began moving, the huntsmaster had finished his speech about staying safe and not trying too hard.

“Logan, is everything alright?”  
Takeshi's voice held a hint of concern and Knight realized he hadn't responded the first time Takeshi called his name.  
“Yeah, sorry, just lost in my own musings here.”  
Knight bared his throat slightly in apology and couldn't help the slight gasp that escaped when Takeshi reached up and pulled him down so that he could drag his fangs along the exposed skin.  
He could hear some of the hunters snicker at them, the sound was teasing and lacked the negative feel that many of the others would carry.  
It was another reason they felt comfortable with the hunters, they didn't look down on them for their occasional intimacy, the guards had been okay with it as long as both Takeshi and Knight had been focused on Emelie, and they hadn't minded that Knight submitted to **her** , **she** was _Shirai Lilim_ after all.  
But when they noticed that he submitted to Takeshi, whom they perceived to be little more than a human, as well, the snickers had turned derisive and it was only Emelie's presence and their status as honored guests of the Lord of the Obsidian Halls that kept them from openly showing their contempt for what they considered to be unmanly, _argr,_ as Emelie had called it.  
The hunters on the other hand were often away from the great city for long periods and there were very few female hunters so the males found their relief with each other, even those who had mates back in the city.  
Those with mates had explained though, that their mates knew about it and that they would not seek relief with someone their mates had not accepted.  
The hunters contribution to the survival of the city was far too great for anyone to dare confront them about their ways or accuse them of acts unbecoming.  
Their twin guides didn't mind either, their own experiences had taught them well, taught them to judge others by their merits, not the ideas of their society.

A shift in Takeshi's energies refocused Knight's attention to his alpha, it had been happening several times lately, Takeshi's energies became needy, almost desperate and something in the demanding force that pushed against him made Knight startle with realization, he knew that desperation, that need.  
 _“Alpha, answer one question, please. Are you going into heat?”  
“I am, but not just yet, my Beast suppresses it.”_  
Knight sighed deeply, that was potentially troubling news, though not entirely surprising.  
 _“So that's what's been going on. How long can it keep the heat suppressed?”  
“With it being my first and the energies of this place, a few years. With some luck I'll be mated by then.”_  
Takeshi and Knight had spent many nights talking about Takeshi's plans to court Emelie once she had been presented to Lilith and gained her true power and Knight found it rather amusing how nervous his otherwise cool-headed alpha was about the entire thing.  
 _“You know, if your beast is able to, you should release your heat when it is time to mark her. Mating-bonds formed when those mating are at the peak of their heat are said to be the strongest.”_  
Knight had no doubt that his two alphas would end up mated, probably inappropriately soon after Emelie's introduction as a true Lilim.  
 _“Assuming she even has a heat-cycle, or that her first heat will come while the Beast is still able to suppress ours.”_  
Knight didn't like the hesitation, the near surrender in Takeshi's tone.  
 _“She will have a cycle, all Lilim do. And she is succubus, so her heat will be triggered by yours, it might even be triggered by my own, or another sufficiently strong, or dominant, pack-member's heat.”_  
Knight almost laughed at the glint of hope that instantly sparked from his words.  
 _“You worry too much Alpha.”_  
He teased gently.  
 _“Someone has to while you kids play around.”_  
Takeshi quipped in return while nibbling at Knight's throat.  
As they gathered themselves and went to join Emelie in their tent they both noticed the unveiled curiosity of the shadeling as it watched them leave.  
 _“We need to keep an eye on that one, as a shadeling it can probably sense your inner shadow, as well as Emelie's heritage.”_  
Knight silently cautioned his alpha, but he neglected to mention the signs of arousal he could see in the way the shadeling's form kept shifting, currently it had adopted a form that mimicked the male angels around it out of convenience.  
 _“Don't worry, I know, the Beast has explained about shadelings, and the meaning of the way it's form keeps changing.”_  
Knight ducked his head slightly at the not so subtle dig at the fact he hadn't mentioned anything about it.

“Logan, your turn. Show us the worth of a Son of the Lost Mountain.”  
The leader of the hunt had made them draw straw to determine what order they would be tested and Knight was 3rd in line.  
The hunters would find an adult gong and make sure it was separated from the others before backing away to allow the one being tested a chance to take it down on their own, but they stayed close, ready to intervene if things got to dangerous or if the gong was about to get away.  
If the recruit failed to fell it they would simply have to wait until the others had a chance, then they would be allowed to try again, most needed quite a few tries before they managed, and many would join several hunts before they felled their first adult gong.  
When he stepped forward Takeshi stopped him briefly and gave him a soft kiss.  
“Go! Show these relics just why my _Beta_ is source of pride for my pack!”  
The mix of pride and teasing challenge in Takeshi's voice made Knight grin and promise himself he would **NOT** fail, for a brief moment he wondered silently just what it was about Takeshi that made him so eager to earn his praise.  
“Remember, an Alpha sometimes rewards their Beta by allowing them certain _liberties_...”  
Takeshi's teasing reminder instantly brought a familiar heat to Knight's belly and it quickly dropped lower, further strengthening his resolve to take down his prey without fail.  
The subtle promise of being allowed to take a dominant role, even if it was just an illusion, was a powerful motivator.

“Ready?”  
The huntsmaster called to Knight while the other hunters kept the adult male gong occupied.  
Knight was impressed with the efficiency with which they lured the beast to a safer location where they could make sure no other gong would get involved.  
“Ready!”  
The other hunters instantly backed away and Knight shifted his weight slightly, pressing closely against the back of his mount, directing the young peregrine demon into the signature stoop that it shared with it's mortal kin.  
The gong wasn't concerned with the approaching predator, well aware that it was much too large for the bird to be any threat to it, unaware of the deadly passenger it returned to its forage for food.  
The peregrine broke of its dive in the last moment and Knight launched himself from its back with his borrowed sword drawn, the hunters trial did not allow the use of enchanted weapons.  
With a well practiced burst of power he drove the blade deep into the neck of the beast and with a push and a twist he forced it through the protective bone, in between the vertebrae and twisted them apart, severing the spinal-cord and killing the large creature.

Pulling out a sharp metal pipe he quickly pierced the jugular to allow the blood to gather in the enchanted bag that all hunters carried for the purpose, when most of the blood had been tapped he brought out the sharp obsidian blade and removed the venom glands, carefully putting them into a similar container, if they broke they would taint the meat.  
With swift and precise cuts he skinned it and opened the body cavity, with a display of power he broke away the ribs and extracted the priced organs, heart, liver and kidney and placed them on the hide before cutting the skull away from the neck and cracking it apart to remove the large brain and place it next to the other organs.  
Tradition dictated that the hunters first true kill was gifted to the elder hunters, as a token of respect, and gratitude for teaching the art of the hunt but Knight decided to break that tradition slightly, he had after all not been taught by them.  
He quickly cut a thick slice of each organ, and from the tenderloin then cut each slice into two strips, one roughly twice the size of the other and placed them on two of the spinal plates along with a pair of the wickedly sharp claws before presenting it to his alphas.  
There was a bit of a stir among the younger hunters when the first bite of the choice cuts was not offered to the huntsmaster, but rather to a pair of the untried hunters, but the huntsmaster just nodded his approval of Knight's gesture and that silenced the others.

“A pride to my pack indeed, Beta.”  
Takeshi praised him after tasting each of the offered pieces, and the claw quickly found it's way into Takeshi pack, once they returned from the hunt it would be crafted into a knife that was perfectly suited for skinning the beasts.  
Emelie quickly seconded Takeshi's assessment of Knight's skills as a hunter.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Killing Time_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Takeshi watched as Emelie and Knight helped the hunters set up the large circle of runes that would transport the spoils of the hunt back to the city, he could have helped, but that would have revealed more about his abilities than they felt comfortable with, so he settled for watching, and learning.  
With Munin's help he had learned their written language well, and had a fair understanding for how they used the runes not only for writing, but also for magic, like the magic circle in front of him, a similar circle was permanently built into the flooring of a storage building in the city and when this circle activated anything within would be moved to the other circle.  
Though, it was not able to teleport a living creature as the body would be torn from the soul, and the soul remain while the body moved.  
He fingered the set of claws in his pack, three of them, one for each of the first kills of himself and his pack, they had taken down a quite a few of the beasts and their share of the spoils were worth a small fortune that they would be able to use in trade once they returned to the city.  
A familiar energy brushing against his own brought him from his musings as the shadeling glided up behind him.  
“A most prosperous hunt, your pack does you great honor, as their Alpha does them.”  
Takeshi just nodded slightly and allowed his aura to return the brush of energies, his Beast had taught him quite a bit about how to interact with shadow demons such as the shadelings.  
 _“You have taught the granddaughter of The Shadow well, for one so young she is strong. The shadow within serves you well.”  
_ Takeshi tensed slightly when the shadeling confirmed their suspicion that it knew who they were.  
 _“Worry not, your secret is not mine reveal. You have my word I will not do or say anything to jeopardize the safety of my kin.”_  
Takeshi could feel the geas of a true oath form and at the mention of kin he allowed his curiosity to flicker through his aura.  
 _“She is my niece. The first Shadow is my father. But please, do not tell her. I wish to reveal that myself at her introduction.”_  
Takeshi didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but knowing that Emelie had family here brought a shard of cold fear to his heart, a fear that she would choose blood family over pack, over him.  
 _“She will hit you for not letting her know earlier.”_  
He pushed the chill down deep within and focused on maintaining his usual calm.  
 _“I'm sure she will, but I do not wish her to know until then.”  
“Very well. But you better take her fury without complaints.”  
“Oh, don't worry, I will.” _  
In the silence that followed Takeshi could feel the shadelings energies shift and become more intimate, inviting.  
 _“I wouldn't mind getting to know her pack a bit better while we wait for her to be presented to Lady Lilith though...”_  
The way the shadelings energies shifted were rather suggestive.  
 _“I bet you wouldn't.”_  
Takeshi quipped with a teasing brush of aura, not really inviting, but not rejecting either.

So far the shadeling had not given Takeshi any reason to dislike it, quite the contrary, and it had good skills, along with Knight and Takeshi it had been the only one to take down a gong on it's first attempt, Emelie had managed on her second which was still considered proof of exceptional skill and power.  
Out of the remaining four taking the trial only one had managed to fell one, and it had been on her 12th try, the others would simply wait for the next hunt and try again.  
Takeshi watched the shadeling join the others, adding their power to the circle of runes and a few minutes later the large piles of goods that had been gathered during the hunt vanished in a wash of power.  
It would reappear inside one of the storehouses in the city, where fields of magic similar to the stasis fields generated by the Sanctuary crystals would keep it fresh until the hunters returned and could begin the distribution of their spoils.  
But today they would bring down another gong or two and gather more treats from the forest and river nearby and tonight they would feast, tomorrow they would rest and the day after they would begin the return trip.

“ _Be nice to the poor girl.”_  
Takeshi mock scolded Knight who was shamelessly flirting with the young huntress who had passed her trial during the hunt, inviting her to spend the night with him and the pack.  
The suggestion that she join them, all of them, for the night had her blushing vividly but her aura gave away her curiosity, and her innocence.  
Emelie had named her _Brenna_ as her name was just as impossible for them pronounce as the other obsidian names and they had spent quite some time with the young female.  
 _“What does your traditions dictate about taking the innocence of a youth?”_  
Takeshi didn't want them to break any taboos or do something that would be seen as inappropriate in obsidian culture, at least not when someone outside of the pack was involved, potentially at risk, so he decided to ask Munin about it.  
 _“It is a great honor to be chosen as their first. An honor that is repaid by teaching them the pleasures to be had. To cause undue pain or fear would be most dishonorable and require restitution to be paid. To take an innocent unwilling would render the offender_ Tharas _, outcast, lowest of the low, an outlaw permissible for anyone to kill without consequence.”  
_ At the mention of taking someone against their will Takeshi found himself unable to fully suppress the distaste that manifested as a low growl and he could feel a flicker of approval from Munin.  
 _“I have no doubt you and your pack would prove to be excellent guides should she chose to grant you that honor.”_

Their silent conversation was interrupted when Knight pushed Takeshi slightly to make him scoot over to make room for Brenna to sit beside him and when she sat down Takeshi couldn't resist placing his hand at the small of her back and slowly trail his claws up her spine, carefully taking note of her every reaction.  
The soft gasp when he reached the soft feathers at the base of her wings was telling, but not as telling as the way she leaned into his touch while using her wings to pull both him and Knight closer.  
For a moment Takeshi was grateful for the obsidian angels' ability to change their size and for the fact that they all adapted their sizes to him and his pack while not working or hunting, it would be hard to do her justice if she chose to lay with them if she maintained her true size.  
When Emelie approached them with a tray piled high with food he could feel Brenna tense under his hand and a flicker of uncertainty tainted her aura, no doubt unsure how Emelie would react to her closeness to what according to their culture was Emelie's males.  
“Oh, don't worry Brenna. I don't mind sharing as long as I get to join in a bit.”  
Emelie's voice was teasing as she leaned in and gave Brenna a rather heated kiss which caused quite a bit of cheering and whooping and made her blush even deeper, the black blood of her kind making her face look like it was cut from the stone of her home.

As the feast carried into the night they teased and taunted, touches, kisses and whispered words were exchanged and by the time they retreated to their tent she joined them eagerly.  
Though there was still one source of uncertainty, she had a hard time choosing who would be her primary guide, who would be her true first.  
Takeshi's instincts told him that she favored Knight, and he suspected that she was concerned that choosing the Beta over the Alpha would be seen as an insult, or a challenge.  
“Easy there sweetie. All that matters is your choice, your wish. Alpha, Beta, it's irrelevant in comparison.”  
“It is okay then, if I chose your beta as my guide?”  
“Of course it is.”  
With Takeshi's assurance the tension faded from her body and aura, but he couldn't resist teasing her a bit.  
“Though I would naturally prefer if you chose me instead.”  
He mock complained with a teasing tone that succeeded in making her laugh.  
As Brenna joined Knight in the furs Takeshi and Emelie stayed close, soothing, teasing, helping her relax, and Takeshi gently slid his hands along her wings and played with the small, soft feathers at the base.  
Takeshi even managed to make Knight blush when he carefully brought a small bottle out of his shift, a bottle containing the slippery substance created by the small tree that the Mother had created for them during Knight's heat.  
“Alpha!”  
Knight hissed with a clear tone of embarrassment when he realized what the bottle contained but Takeshi just grinned at him.  
When they finally emerged from their tent in time for the evening meal the following day they were met with snickers and cheers, as well as teasing questions about their skill as _guides_.  
“Oh, trust me, they taught me **very** well.”  
Takeshi and Knight were both grinning widely as Brenna gave as good as she got, even making a few of the other hunters splutter.

 

 


	4. The Light Who Fell

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Light Who Fell_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


There was a rather large group waiting to greet the hunters when they returned, mates, children, friends and prospective buyers had all gathered in the open area in front of the storage buildings.  
But Takeshi and his pack soon found their attention shifting to Brenna as they could all feel a creeping fear start to tinge her aura when a rather large male approached her while speaking loudly and energetically in their language.  
When they noticed that several of the hunters seemed agitated they quickly asked Hugin and Munin what was going on.  
_“He is being very disrespectful.”_  
Hugin quickly began translating the words of the rude male, while they had learned to understand some of the language the fine nuances were still beyond their grasp.  


“About time! Let's go get that innocence of yours out of the way so we can finally get our mating done.”  


Takeshi reached out for Brenna's mind with a barely restrained growl.  
_“You fear him, why?”  
“I don't know. He's always been trying to talk me into choosing him as my guide but I have managed to keep him at bay by telling him I wanted to prove myself as a hunter first.”_  
She explained that the male was the son of one of her father's oldest friends and that she had never been comfortable around him and now, she feared his reaction when he realized she had picked someone else to be her guide.  
_“So it would be safe to assume you have no desire to be courted by, or mated to him?”  
“Never!”  
_There was another outburst from the male, this time with an aggressive tone that made Takeshi's instincts go on high alert and he could tell that several others had reacted the same way, but that they were hesitant to get involved, even Kiryu hissed in agitation from his shoulder.  


“ _He has realized that she is no longer an innocent, upset that she chose someone else and demanding courting-rights.”  
_Hugin continued to give them a rundown of what was being said. _  
“But she has no desire to be courted by him.”  
_Takeshi relayed what Brenna had told him, confirming what they were all suspecting. _  
“Unfortunately her father has promised him courting-rights once she has shed her innocence.”  
“Is there anything we can do to help her?”  
“Her guide has the right to challenge anyone who wishes to court her, if the guide wins the other male loses any right to court her.”  
“Logan, you think you can beat that guy?”  
_Takeshi quickly turned his attention to Knight.  
Knight didn't answer, he just stepped up in front of the offending male and in a wash of power he called his armor and sword.  


“ **By right of the Guide I reject your claim of courting-rights!”  
**Hugin quickly translated the burst of sound that answered Knight's loud proclamation.  
_“He is questioning the validity of Logan's claim to being her guide.”  
_“He offered to be my guide when he found out that I was still an innocent, and I accepted his offer.”  
Brenna's voice was soft but steady as she responded in Urui so that Takeshi and the others would be able to fully understand her.  
**“You allowed that baseborn mongrel to touch you!?”  
**The outraged words were shouted in Urui, no doubt to make sure Knight understood the insult and they were followed by a surprisingly swift charge toward Brenna and the raised arm a clear threat.  
There was a brief moment of chaos as several of the hunters cried out in alarm and tried to intercept the livid male only to realize they were too far away to make it in time, but Takeshi and Knight were not concerned, they could both feel the familiar flicker of Emelie's shadow powers as she vanished into Takeshi's shadow and re-appeared in Brenna's.  
The large angel almost lost his balance when he suddenly found himself face to face with a furious succubus, pulling on all the power of her heritage and a moment later Hugin and Munin stepped in and crossed the black blades that proved their status as royal guards in front of him.  
“You will fight the challenge or forfeit any right to claim courting-rights, with anyone, ever!”  
The twin angels spoke as one and their tone demanded obedience.  
Everyone was quickly ushered toward the training grounds where the arena and it's protective energy field would allow them to fight without needing to worry about the spectators.  


The main arena of the training-grounds was a rather impressive building, somewhat similar to the Colosseum, only much larger and with a strong energy barrier surrounding the pit and when they arrived a pair of large bells began ringing, no doubt to alert potential spectators that there would be a fight in the arena.  
A group of officials greeted them before Knight and the angel were quickly brought to opposite sides of the arena while Hugin and Munin led Takeshi, Emelie and Brenna to a central podium that gave an excellent view of the entire arena, much like the imperial box of the Colosseum.  
As the one the challenge was all about Brenna was seated in the middle seat, Emelie, being a Lilim on her right and Takeshi on her left with Kiryu perched on his shoulder while Hugin and Munin stood behind them.  
After a few minutes a group of servers arrived with large platters piled high with various snack foods, including fruits, cooked and raw meats, bread and cheese.  


“You should eat and relax, it will take a while for the officials to prepare the arena and the fighters.”  
Takeshi and Emelie just nodded and began picking their favorites from the trays of food while Brenna watched them silently.  
“Aren't you worried about Logan? His opponent is skilled and of noble blood...”  
“Not really, we have faith in our little beta.”  
Hearing Emelie call Knight _little_ instantly had Brenna laughing, even Hugin and Munin were chuckling slightly behind them.  
“Don't worry, _sweetie_. Trust in your guide, you chose very well.”  
Takeshi placed his hand at the small of her back and slowly trailed his claws along her spine until he could bury his fingers in the soft feathers at the base of her wings.  
“You know, that's a bit inappropriate...”  
Brenna scolded lightly, but rather than reject the touch she leaned into it slightly, allowing it to calm her.  
While Takeshi was focused on keeping Brenna calm he was half listening to Emelie giving her a detailed briefing on all the benefits of claws in a lover...  


Takeshi estimated that an hour had passed when one of the arena officials entered the pit and began his presentation of the upcoming fight.  
First the angel stepped out and was introduced, with a long listing of his lineage which was probably supposed to be impressive, but Takeshi couldn't care less.  
When Knight stepped into the pit Takeshi could feel a surge of pride, he was wearing the modern style dragon body-armor that Takeshi and Kiryu had crafted for him, he also wore a tabard and cloak similar to the Templar ones he had torn from his armor when they retrieved it, but these were a deep black with the Kiryu family kanji boldly displayed in a fiery red.  
When Knight moved Takeshi could see that the sides had a black dragon stitched with what looked like it might have been sequins, but Takeshi suspected they were in fact small scales making the likeness of the Ryujin shine and glitter against the matte black cloth.  
“Oh, so he has finally found an occasion he considers worthy.”  
The old dragon whispered from her spot on Takeshi's shoulder, confirming his suspicion that the items were indeed crafted from her hide and scales.  
“Keeping secrets are we?”  
His tone was teasing and she only huffed in response while listening to the introduction of Knight.  


“ **Logan Knight, Beta of Pack Kiryu, Son of the Lost Mountain, Honored Guide to Brenna of the Obsidian Halls.”**  


Knight had obviously spoken to the official about how he wished to be introduced and Takeshi wondered how much convincing it had taken to get them to address Brenna with the name Emelie had given her and not her true name.  
With introductions done there was a quick listing of the rules, which pretty much boiled down to there being no rules other than that no one may interfere, not even Brenna.  
A few beats of powerful wings and the official landed in front of Brenna on their podium and a burst of energy the protective barrier closed up.  


“ **Fight!”**  


Brenna gasped in concern when the angel quickly grew in size, proving his noble heritage but Knight just kept circling him slowly, showing no signs of being worried about the size of his opponent.  
“Isn't he going to attack?”  
She whispered despite the loud cheering and taunts from the other spectators.  
“He is allowing his opponent to decide how the challenge will be fought. Until one submits, is unable to fight, or maybe even to the death.”  
Takeshi wasn't worried, but he kept a close eye on fight, not wanting to miss anything.  
“Realizing your mistake are you? Pathetic little mongrel!”  
The angel was taunting Knight, trying to push him into making the first move.  
“You know, the human realm has a saying; The bigger they are, the harder they fall...”  
Knight returned the taunts with a taunt of his own and the effect was instant.  
With an enraged cry the angel charged and aimed a swing with the long, black, sword at Knight's neck, clearly intending to take his head, and thus deciding the goal of the fight, death.  
After that the fight quickly turned vicious and Takeshi could feel a slight concern from Emelie as the angel used his size and range to push Knight to the limit, but Takeshi wasn't concerned, Knight's aura still carried a distinct sharpness that revealed that he was not as cornered as he seemed, if one knew what to look for.  


Nearly two hours later the fight turned and Brenna cried out when Knight's sword was forced from his hands, but before anyone had really had time to realize that he had been disarmed Knight had grabbed his opponent's blade and used it to swing around behind and slightly above him and bringing out all his strength he smashed both his fists into the base of the wings, completely crushing them.  
Looking down at the unconscious angel Knight called for his blade, but instead of finishing his opponent he simply sheathed his sword and turned toward the official.  
“Challenge over, he is unable to continue.”  
With the pain and shock from the damage to the sensitive base of the wings the angel wouldn't wake for quite some time, and he would never fly again.  
**“Challenge over!”  
**The official agreed and named Knight winner of the fight.  


When Knight rejoined them he was met with praise, and kisses but their celebration was quickly cut short as a pair of guards wearing the royal armor, and sporting haughty sneers landed on the podium.  


“ **Our Great Lord of the Obsidian Halls demands you be brought before him!”**  


Giving the guards a quick glance Takeshi ignored their tone and for the most part, them as well, instead he turned to his pack.  
“Well, how about we head back and get cleaned up and go meet with the Lord?”  
“You will not make our Lord wait!”  
One of the guards instantly snapped and Takeshi found himself fighting to suppress a deep sigh, there had not been much opportunity for proper bathing during the hunt, nor were they able to carry much spare clothing so they were all rather ripe.  
Knight had bathed before the fight, but he now had quite a bit of blood and dirt smeared over his body.  
Hugin and Munin both tried to convince the guards that it would be better to allow them some time to quickly get cleaned up, but the guards refused and pulled rank against the twins.  
_“It seems they are intent on trying to shame us by having us appear before our Lord looking like a bunch of street urchins.”_  
Munin complained silently as they followed the guards toward the palace area.  
_“The grime and sweat of honest work, and blood of our prey and foes. Hardly something to be ashamed of.”_  
Knight's response carried a clear huff.  
Takeshi quickly reached out for the shadeling and asked it to look after Brenna and see to that she found her way home safely before snapping at the guards.  
“By all means, show us the way then.”  
Both guards visibly bristled at Takeshi's dismissive tone and refusal to look at them when he spoke.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Light Who Fell_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


By the time they reached the inner palace Emelie was suggesting they pluck the guards and run them out of town in tar and their own feathers.  
The guards had been constantly sneering, sighing and complaining about them being slow, especially Takeshi and Knight's inability to fly had been complained about.  
_“You know, our Lord might just let you do that if you ask nicely. This not how you treat honored guests and perhaps risking such a treatment would make the guards mind their manners a bit.”_  
Hugin was only half joking, clearly upset about the way the guards were behaving.  
They were lead into a fairly large antechamber and Munin quickly explained that the throne room was just beyond the doors, and that they would be asked to leave their weapons in the antechamber.  
The futility of asking Knight to leave his sword in the chamber caused quite a bit of amusement, he could simply call for the weapon and it would come to his hand and the guards were completely unaware of Takeshi and Emelie's weapons.  
Their demand that Hugin and Munin leave their swords caused another argument, but this time the twins didn't back down, as honor-guards they were sworn to protect, and they had been ordered to do so by the Lord himself.  


“You! Remove the seal that masks your aura!”  
One of the guards rudely pushed at Takeshi with his wing.  
“I will remove it when the Lord himself asks me to, not before. And most certainly not for a simple lackey like you.”  
Takeshi might have complied if they had just bothered to ask in a remotely polite way, but he had simply had it with their lack of manners so he decided to reply in kind, though he found it amusing that they assumed that he carried only one seal, and that it was a masking one, not a suppressing one.  
His refusal sparked another round of bickering, but when the bell rung, signaling that they were to enter, the guards backed off.  
“Oh well, it's your neck on the line.”  
One of them sneered as they pushed the large doors open and almost shoved Takeshi and the others inside.  
Once inside they were introduced by a herald while they walked toward the large throne at the far end of the room.  
“Wow, he's huge...”  
Takeshi found himself inclined to agree with Emelie's whispered assessment of the Lord, Hugin had not exaggerated when he mentioned their Lord towering all others.  
The male standing before the throne was roughly 15 meters tall, not counting the top of the wings that reached above his head, the large black crown made it rather obvious that it was indeed the Lord of the Obsidian Halls.  


They were quickly ushered toward the dais at the end of the grand hall and when they reached the first step of the dais Hugin and Munin quickly took a knee and placed their blades at their side.  
Takeshi on the other hand simply gave a slight nod and Emelie and Knight took their queue from him, much to the guards displeasure.  
When one of them stepped closer, intent on forcing Takeshi to his knees the Lord finally spoke up.  
**“Guards, return to your posts!”**  
“Good riddance...”  
Emelie hissed in a stage whisper as the guards left and took up post by the door they had arrived through and the slight shift of curiosity in the Lord's aura revealed that he had indeed heard her.  
Turning to Hugin and Munin he addressed them by their true names and in the language of their kind he bid them rise.  
“My Lord, our charges have taken to calling us Hugin and Munin, it would do us great honor to be called as such to aid them.”  
Munin gave his brother a shocked glare that he dared make such a request, but their Lord just nodded with a smile.  
“The ravens of Father Óðinn. Good names, they suit you well.”  
Dismissing the twins with a slight nod he turned to Takeshi and allowed his aura to was over him, pushing it's black energy against Takeshi's fiery red, testing his strength and resolve to remain standing.  


“Takeshi, Alpha of Pack Kiryu. Chosen by The Avatar of Life. I suspect asking you to kneel would be futile.”  
Takeshi answered with a nod and a wide smile.  
“I do however request that you release the seals that binds your power, I **will** know the true you.”  
“As you wish.”  
Takeshi inclined his head slightly.  
“Hugin, Munin, you might want to be ready to step back just in case. I haven't done this in a long time.”  
The pack bonds would protect Emelie and Knight from his aura, and he was pretty sure the Lord in front of them could handle the power without problems, and the guards, well if his power reached that far he hoped they would get nice and singed.  


He began to slowly undo the weave of seals, intentionally taking his time to allow Hugin and Munin a chance to get away if it became uncomfortable for them.  
As he got to the seals that Amanda had helped create he couldn't help feeling a twinge of regret, he would be unable to replace those until they returned home.  
With each seal he removed the scent of peppermint in the air got stronger and it was almost completely overpowering the slightly musky scent from Knight that revealed his growing arousal.  
Taking a few deep breaths Takeshi focused on centering himself before undoing the final weave of seals and allowing his aura to unfurl and expand until it felt relaxed rather than compressed.  
The startled cries from the rude guards gave a certain satisfaction, though the power had unfortunately not been enough to do any damage.  


While the Lord approached and examined his aura Takeshi focused on his companions, they were all breathing rather heavily, though for slightly different reasons, Hugin and Munin were both struggling with the unfamiliar energy, especially Hugin.  
Munin quickly submitted to the power and just braced himself while it poured through him and after a while it calmed down and settled for gently washing over him.  
Hugin on the other hand was fighting the energy, unwilling to submit but in the end his resistance was futile and he was forced to the ground and submitted to the raging inferno.  
As the Lord stepped down from the dais he quickly shrunk down until he was just slightly taller than Knight, just like how Hugin and Munin had long since adapted their height to match Takeshi's, but the Lord maintained a slight height advantage, even over Knight, as a sign of dominance.  


When he got close he wrinkled his nose slightly at their appearance.  
“How about we relocate to the royal bath and continue our conversation there? I it would seem my messengers were a bit overzealous in bringing you here.”  
“More like intentionally trying to make us look bad.”  
Emelie quipped and there was a slight ripple of annoyance through the massive aura of the Lord before he reined it in and answered her.  
“Well, perhaps we should do something about that after getting you cleaned up then?”  
“Gladly!”  
As they left Takeshi carefully pulled his aura in, coiling it tightly around his body, but he didn't re-apply any of the seals and wouldn't do so until they left the inner palace out of respect for their host.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Light Who Fell_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


The royal bath was massive, no doubt intended for the Lord to be able to bathe comfortably in his true size and Takeshi was pleased to find that it reminded very much of a traditional Japanese onsen with a small area for washing yourself and a large hot-spring to soak in.  
He noted that the water had the milky quality of the Iou-sen, sulfur springs, but none of the rotten egg smell and he found himself curious about the qualities of the water.  
They were quickly met by a group of female attendants but the Lord ushered them away, opting for privacy over comfort, and no doubt certain pleasures.  


“There is no need to keep your desires suppressed here. I am not one of those who judge others based on their choice of bed-mates.”  
The words were meant for Knight who was having a rather strong reaction to finally being able to feel Takeshi's aura fully released again.  
“I did promise you a reward if you beat that idiot in the challenge...”  
Takeshi added with a teasing brush against Knight's aura which brought out a familiar keening sound.  
“Alpha, now you're just being evil...”  
Knight complained with a groan.  
“Am I now?”  
Takeshi decided to take the complaints as a challenge of sorts and slid over to Knight's side to bring his tightly coiled aura in full contact with Knight's.  
A sharp gasp was quickly followed by muttered curses mixed with groans and apologies as Takeshi undressed him before turning to Emelie and undressing her, once done he in turn allowed Emelie and Knight to undress him..  
The Lord did nothing to hide his amusement and curiosity as he watched them scrub each other clean in preparation for entering the steaming spring.  


“Hugin! Munin! I hope you're not planning to just stand there cause I know you are quite literally itching for an opportunity to get those wings of yours cleaned good and proper.”  
Emelie nailed the silent twins with a glare when they made no motion to remove their clothes and join them.  
“Em, this is the royal bath! It would be highly improper.”  
Munin spluttered in horror at the idea of joining them.  
“And refusing an invitation from an honored guest, a Shirai Lilim, whom you also happen to be oath-bound to, would be proper?”  
The Lord turned Munin's words around and after a few moments of shocked silence the brothers quickly undressed and after a few objections that fell to deaf ears they found themselves being thoroughly scrubbed.  
When it was time for the wings there was a new round of objections and complaints accompanied by a telltale darkening of their skin  
To have someone aid with the preening of the wings was a very intimate thing, other than a parent caring for their offspring it was rarely seen outside of mated pairs, sometimes a close friend or relative would help if an injury made it hard to keep the wings cared for.  


As usual Munin surrendered pretty fast, but Hugin put up a fight which soon led to a small scuffle that ended with him being pinned flat on his stomach to the floor by Takeshi while Emelie and Knight carefully spread and cleaned his wings, making sure not to mess up the feathers, Takeshi took care of the base of the wings himself which earned him a few muffled complaints and a mouthful of feathers when Hugin tried to buck free.  
When he was finally allowed to get back up he made for a rather sorry sight with all the feathers of his wings thoroughly drenched and hanging limply.  
When Emelie jumped back to avoid the spray of water from his wings when he shook away the excess water she found herself backing into the Lord who took the opportunity to lean in and make a not so subtle proposition.  
“You are more than welcome to help me with mine...”  
The crooked look and dismissive snort didn't seem to deter him in the least as he snatched her tail and gave the tip a gentle nip, no doubt aware of the effect it had on most demons.  
“My my, such a lovely, enticing scent.”  
For a moment Emelie froze and Takeshi considered warning the Lord about the meaning of the addition of camphor to the chilling peppermint but he quickly dismissed the idea and left the poor male to his fate.  
A moment later there was an annoyed hiss followed by a startled yelp and a crash as the Lord jumped back, nursing a bleeding hand courtesy of Emelie's claws.  


“Yikes, aggressive!”  
But even that didn't seem to deter him for long as he moved closer again and leaned in with a whisper.  
“Just how I like it...”  
The looks shared by the others quite clearly said _He asked for it_ as they waited for Emelie's reaction.  
True to character she spluttered a few times, then exploded and gave an excellent demonstration of the power hidden in her tiny body as she spun around, jumped up and sent him flying into the hot-spring with a vicious dropkick to the chest.  
For a moment there was concern flashing through Hugin's and Munin's auras, she had after all just attacked their Lord in his own home, but that concern vanished when he surfaced, spluttering and laughing.  
“Heart, spirit, courage and temper. Lady Lilith is going to love you, and she is going to be proud as a peacock, as will your father.”  
The last bit made Emelie stop her pacing and focus fully on their host.  
“So you **do** know who my father is!?”  
“I do. He has worked for me for a long time and he is looking forward to seeing you once he returns from his current assignment.”  
“It is true then? You are _The Light Who Fell_? The one also known as _Lucifer_?”  
“Yes, that's me. But I haven't been called by that name for a long time.”  
He slowly swam to the edge of the spring where it formed a smaller cove of sorts and beckoned for them to join him.  
“What should we call you then? Because I refuse to go around calling you _My Lord_ or anything like that...”  
Once again Hugin and Munin looked rather horrified at what seemed like blatant disrespect toward their Lord, but once again he took it with a smile.  
“Lucifer is fine, it's one of my many names and my true name is a soul-name, not to be shared lightly.”  
Knowing someone's soul-name would give great power over them so those that had one and knew it rarely shared it with others.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Light Who Fell_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


They had spent quite some time with random small talk and teasing antics before Lucifer decided it was time to get down to business.  
“So, other than finding Emmy's father what has brought you here?”  
He intentionally called her _Emmy_ to provoke her temper and was quickly rewarded with her picking up one of the smooth basalt rocks lining the springs with her tail and hurling it at him with surprising accuracy.  
“Now if you could only throw darts that accurately with your hands...”  
Takeshi's snickering quip earned him a few stones of his own which he caught just as smoothly as Lucifer had.  
While Takeshi and Emelie had one of their little scuffles Knight began to explain what he had come for, he told Lucifer the story of how he had been hired by the Templar Order, how he had ultimately gone against them and chosen to protect what he considered an innocent.  


“The demon I seek is Arai Lilim, and to the best of my knowledge, your son.”  
“Well, him being Arai does narrow things down slightly, but over the years I have had the opportunity to father quite a few sons with out dear Lady Lilith, and even more daughters as she so favors birthing females.”  
“Well, hopefully Em will be able to narrow it down, but the details are hers to speak of.”  
Taking her cue Emelie began to talk about their vacation and the fae of the Black Forest, Takeshi filled in some details about Glenys and even brought out the blade after asking permission, both from the blade and their host.  
“She is a fine blade. Strong and honorable, she would be the pride of any warrior.”  
Takeshi continued the story, telling the part where Glenys had told them about the 'Fallen Templar' and that he might make a good ally in their task and he continued the story until the opening of the sealed tomb.  
Emelie's tears were flowing freely and her aura was bristling with rage when she told Lucifer and the twins about what they had found when they opened the antechamber of the tomb.  
“They shackled her to the stone, bound her breasts and left her baby girl at her bosom to starve to death. And finally they sealed the tomb so that their souls and spirits would not be able to leave to find rest.”  


When she brought out the crystal pendant Lucifer carefully reached out and brushed the back of his fingers against the filigree cage that held the teardrop crystal, then as if burned he pulled his hand away.  
For a moment everything was still, then he gave voice to a haunting tone that no doubt carried across the entire palace, probably the city and beyond as well, the sound was pure rage, pain and grief and Takeshi found himself unable to fight his instincts as he joined in, releasing an eerie howl that matched the piercing tone.  
The primal cry was followed by a long silence before Lucifer spoke up again.  
“She was indeed my granddaughter, and I know which of my sons fathered her. Thank you for bringing them here.”  
With a whisper of magic a piece of gold and a piece of obsidian appeared and under the power of the Lord they were quickly crafted into a pair of earrings, reaching back he sifted through the large black wings and plucked one of the long flight feathers and a few small down feathers from each wing and once in his hands they shrunk down to a size suitable to be fitted to the earrings and once done he presented them to Emelie as a sign of gratitude.  
The magnitude of the gift was obvious from the twins reactions, they were downright stupefied from the time he reached to pluck the feathers from his wings.  
Emelie however just accepted the token with a slight nod.  


“What of their remains?”  
The voice carried a hint of hope.  
“We were unable to move them at the time. But we removed the shackles and encased them in a stasis crystal before resealing the chamber when we left. As long as the power of the Mother remains they are safe, and should you wish for it we can try to retrieve them once we return to the human realm.”  
Takeshi's words brought out a sigh of relief.  
“I ask that you do so once you have the opportunity. The mate and child of my son should be buried in the royal crypt as is their right.”  
Once again he called on his magic to bring gold and obsidian into his hands but this time he crafted a simple chain and fitting before once again plucking a primary from each wing, placing them together the feathers merged into one and shrunk to the length of his hand before he fitted them against the chain and held out the simple necklace to Takeshi.  
“In return for your word that you will bring their bodies here.”  
“You have my word that my pack and I will do all in our power to see that the bodies are brought here for burial.”  
Refusing to make a promise he might not be able to keep Takeshi chose his words carefully, and was rewarded with a nod and the necklace being placed into his hand and with a small burst of power he placed it within his soul where it would not be damaged or lost.  
“An interesting talent you have there. Feel like giving a demonstration after we had something to eat?”  
“Perhaps...”  
“Don't worry, I will see to that we have some privacy.”  
Lucifer quickly assured before turning to Emelie.  
“If you feel up to it I will summon my son here and he can join us this evening.”  
Emelie took a deep breath to steady herself, and the way hear tail reached out an coiled around Takeshi's wrist revealed how nervous she was.  
“I guess I might as well get it over with, though, I will miss feeling them...”  
“She _is_ your kin...”  
Lucifer's touch and brush of his aura held none of the teasing quality it had before, only a soothing comfort and understanding.  


After a quick toweling and getting dressed in the clothing provided, which mostly reminded of a roman toga, they were brought to a hidden garden where a warm breeze shimmering with magic quickly dried feathered wings and long hair.  
“Take, you have got to learn how to make wind like this!”  
Emelie had her wings slightly extended and was enjoying the feel of the magic infused wind against the leathery membrane.  
“Your grandmother will no doubt be more than happy to teach you how to create this wind once you have been properly introduced.”  
Lucifer answered her before Takeshi had a chance to.  
“When will that be?”  
Emelie was a bit apprehensive, but she wanted to know anyway.  
“You father will return within a fortnight and he will no doubt wish to get to know you a bit before bringing you before Lady Lilith, but I would say no more than half a year.”  
“Local time or human realm time?”  
Half a year in the human realm would mean five years passing in the Obsidian Halls.  
“Half a human year as time flows here. Or about three weeks in the human realm. Our years are much longer than those of the human realm.”  
“Okay, that's not such a long time...”  
She wasn't sure if it was good news or bad news though.  
“With her love for theatrics I am sure your grandmother will want to hold your presentation during the start of the great eclipse, that is 168 days from now, and it reaches it's peak 50 days later. Just enough time for you to learn a bit about your powers and participate in the grand feast.”  
“Oh great, just what I need...”  
She muttered silently.  
_“The peak of the great eclipse would be an excellent time to mark a mate. Not to mention it would be a scandalously short courting. I'm sure Lady Lilith would approve wholeheartedly...”  
_Hugin's tone was teasing as he told Takeshi a few of the legends about the great eclipse, an event that took place every 500 years.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Light Who Fell_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


After a generous meal eaten in the enchanted garden their host erected a barrier around the garden that kept prying eyes, ears and auras out to give Takeshi some privacy to show his abilities.  
Once assured that there was no risk of anyone spying Takeshi took the opportunity to flex his muscles so to speak and put on quite a show both with his shifting and his skill in various fighting styles, including what he had learned in the year they had spent in the Obsidian Halls.  
“Come, let's spar!”  
The taunting invitation was delivered with a wide grin and a gleeful energy flickering through the dark aura of the Lord.  
Takeshi gladly accepted the invitation, he rarely had a chance to spar with a truly powerful opponent.  
Knight, while strong, had the disadvantage of the bond, even if they suppressed it as much as they could some of their energy always seeped through, the same would happen with Emelie, and while strong, fast, and clever, she lacked the experience to be a truly challenging opponent.  


Sheathing his blades he dropped into his familiar stance, deceptively relaxed he waited for his opponent to make a move, but after circling each other a few minutes it became clear that neither combatant had any intentions of making the first move.  
“Okay, this is getting boring. A kiss for first blood!”  
Emelie decided to try to liven things up with a bit of an offer, and it proved to be rather effective as Takeshi instantly opened up with a handful of his throwing-needles, though for once his opponent was able to avoid all of the small projectiles.  
“You will have to do better than that kid. My favored prey to hunt is _Kanna_.”  
Lucifer taunted with a laugh.  
“What's a Kanna?”  
Emelie whispered to Knight.  
“A smaller relative of the gong that is covered with venomous quills. They are able to fire hundreds of them at once and they regrow in a matter of minutes.”  
The sharp sound of metal against metal drew their attention back to the fight where both fighters were pushing hard to try to draw first blood.  


“Take!”  
They had been fighting for nearly two hours when Emelie cried out as the sharp edge of Lucifer's blade drew a thin red line along Takeshi's forearm and a few drops of blood trickled toward his hand.  
It wasn't a cry of concern though, but rather annoyed disappointment.  
“First blood!”  
Knight called out evenly.  
“Take, **you** were supposed win that!”  
Emelie complained with a grumble.  
“Double or nothing little Lilim? Winner gets the kiss, and the honor of sharing your bed tonight?”  
Lucifer's suggestion was accompanied by a rather lewd grin.  
_“Don't worry, even if she agrees and I win I have no intention to actually lay with her, merely to tease her. She has such a lovely temper...”_  
He added silently to Takeshi alone.  
“Oh hell no! No way! Not happening! Forget it!”  
Lucifer gave a deep sigh of disappointment that was only partially an act, he would have enjoyed spending the night testing her temper.  
Turning his attention back to Takeshi their sparring continued with renewed vigor, Takeshi determined to draw some blood of his own.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Light Who Fell_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


The sound of a large metal gong brought a sudden halt to the match.  
“Ah, my son has arrived. How about we wash this sweat off and join him?”  
Takeshi just nodded while trying to rein in his instincts, the early stages of heat was wreaking havoc on his control.  
“Now my little Lilim, I do believe you owe me a kiss.”  
Lucifer beckoned with a wide smile and Emelie gave him a sharp huff, but walked over to give the promised reward, when she was standing in front of him he kneeled down so that she could reach and she leaned in and gave him a quick peck at the corner of the mouth.  
“You call that a kiss?”  
She froze when he quickly wrapped his wings around her and pulled her in for a kiss that bordered on being an all out make-out session, it only lasted for a few seconds though before she snapped out of it and vanished in a burst of power.  
Using the shadow cast by his wings she shadow-traveled and reappeared behind Knight where she peeked out and voiced her displeasure with a bristling glare and a hiss.  
“Now that was a decent kiss.”  
Lucifer licked his lips with a teasing smile which only made Emelie hiss louder.  


Once they had returned to the bath Knight was rather concerned with the way Takeshi's aura shifted and flared.  
_“Alpha, are you alright?”  
“Yeah, just need a bit more time to get my instincts back under control.”  
“The heat?”  
“The heat...”_  
When Emelie tried to help him get cleaned up he asked her to aid Lucifer instead, as a token for winning the sparring match on points, there was a flicker of suspicion in her eyes, but she did as he asked much to their hosts amusement.  
As much as Takeshi would have enjoyed her help he was unsure if he would be able to keep the heat suppressed if she touched him before he had a chance to calm down, and she would no doubt be rather intimate in her assistance making it even harder.  


When they returned to the garden about 20 minutes later there was another male waiting for them, and as they entered he quickly rose from his seat and gave a short bow.  
“Father.”  
“Roghan.”  
Lucifer returned the bow with a short nod and a moment later the newcomer, Roghan, froze as he spotted Knight behind his father.  
“Templar...”  
“These are my guests, Takeshi Kiryu, dominant alpha of Pack Kiryu, Emelie Eriksson, co-alpha of Pack Kiryu and Logan Knight, beta of Pack Kiryu. Their guards are to be referred to as Hugin and Munin.”  
Roghan quickly turned to them to offer his greetings to his father's honored guests, the twins were quickly dismissed with a short nod before he turned to Takeshi.  
“Alpha.”  
He acknowledged Takeshi with a barely noticeable bow before turning to Emelie and studying her for a moment.  
“Niece...?”  
Roghan seemed surprised to find that she was kin but he shook it off and greeted her with a nod.  


When he turned to Knight the atmosphere turned tense and after a few seconds of silence Knight stepped forward and kneeled down with his head bowed, something that caused a low growl, and a hiss of displeasure, from his alphas.  
“I was captured, sealed, and I failed to protect your mate and daughter.”  
When Roghan quickly stepped up to Knight Takeshi had to grab Emelie to keep her from jumping in between.  
_“Em, sweetie, don't. Logan needs to do this on his own. As long as his life, or place with the pack, is not at risk we will not interfere.”  
“But it wasn't his fault!”  
“I know, but he still feels like it was. Please, let him do what he must.”  
“Fine, but I don't like it.”  
“Neither do I sweetie, neither do I.”_  
For a moment it looked like Roghan would attack Knight, but then he grabbed him and pulled him to his feet.  
“Did they suffer?”  
Roghan's voice was ice cold, but there was a shiver of emotion under the hard surface.  
“Yes. And I was unable to aid them...”  
Knight still didn't look at Roghan and Emelie was growing increasingly distraught by the heavy guilt and sadness in Knight's aura.  
Takeshi didn't like it either, but his experience with losing his unit gave him a keen understanding for how Knight was feeling, and despite the loss of Diane, Emelie was still mostly unfamiliar with the soul-rending guilt of being unable to protect those under your care.  
“Sit, tell me what happened.”  
Knight began to tell the story of his rebellion and his capture, some of the details were new to Takeshi and Emelie as well but they didn't comment on it.  
When he finished the telling he turned slightly toward Takeshi and Emelie.  
“The rest of the story is up to my alphas to tell.”  


With a deep breath Takeshi began to once again tell their side of the story, but he didn't mention the part about Emelie carrying the soul and spirit of the woman and her daughter until the very end.  
“So now their remains are safely sealed away from all and any that might disturb their rest, and Pack Kiryu have given its word to do all in our power to bring them here so that they may have a proper burial. But Emelie did manage to bring a part of them here...”  
Roghan's attention instantly focused on Emelie and she brought out the pendant and removed it from the chain before holding it out to him, he radiated confusion as he held out his hand and she carefully placed it in his hand, struggling with the pang of loss when handing over her precious cargo.  
There was a shocked gasp when he realized what he was holding and when the spirits rose from within he surrendered to his grief and allowed the tears to flow freely.  
The souls lingered for a few moments, allowing him to feel them, then they separated from the spirits and brushed against Emelie's aura before fading away, peacefully returning to the cycle of rebirth.  
The spirits however remained behind, still clinging to the crystal teardrop, but without the power of the souls they would not be able to linger long.  


“If you allow it, I can bind their spirits to your soul. As has been done with these. But it needs to be done now, before they begin to fade.”  
Takeshi spoke up and as he pulled aside the cloth that covered the tattoo over his heart he called for the spirits of his unit to show themselves. He wasn't sure why, but somehow he knew he would be able to bind those two spirits to the soul of the powerful demon before him.  
“Please, go ahead.”  
It only took a few moments for Roghan to decide.  
“I can't control the form they take, but I can control the placement, though I would recommend close to your heart.”  
Takeshi explained in a low voice and Roghan just nodded and removed the top of his clothing.  
“Suppress you healing for a while please.”  
Takeshi used his claw to cut a deep incision, all the way to the bone before carefully taking the pendant and pushing it inside, with a trickle of power he changed the crystal filigree cage to attach itself to the rib before nodding for Roghan to allow the wound to heal.  
“That was the easy part, the next part might hurt, a lot.”  
Roghan took a deep breath to steady himself before nodding for Takeshi to continue.  
The gentle trickle of power grew until they were both barely visible under its onslaught and then as quick as it had started it ended and Takeshi stepped back and looked at the form the spirits had chosen.  
Over Roghan's heart was a pure white lotus flower surrounded by ivy that curled around his chest and shoulder.  
“It would seem they borrowed a bit from my spirit when they chose their forms. White lotus; purity, innocence, your daughter. Ivy, eternity, fidelity, strong affection, your mate.”  
Roghan looked down and slowly traced the marks as Takeshi explained their symbolism.  
“Thank you.”  


For a few minutes no one spoke, they just watched silently as Roghan reunited with the spirits of his family and once he was satisfied for the moment he looked up and turned to Takeshi.  
“If you ever need anything, ask and I will do all in my power to help.”  
Such an open oath was a risky thing, there was no limit to what Takeshi could ask and Roghan would be obliged to try to fulfill the demand.  
Takeshi accepted the oath with a nod and Roghan turned to Knight.  
“Trying to protect my mate and child you suffered the living death. With this your debt is paid in full.”  
Knight had never mentioned a debt and Takeshi found himself curious about what it might have been, but he wouldn't ask, instead he would wait and hope that Knight would share it.  
Takeshi watched Knight accept with a nod, and a sigh of relief, before Roghan turned to Emelie and kneeled down.  
“To you my kin, a life debt owed thrice over. For you, or those you claim as family.”  
His words pulled a gasp from Hugin and Munin, even Lucifer looked slightly surprised.  
A life debt was not a small thing, normally it was only granted if a life was saved, and to grant three of them was nearly unheard of.  
After a moment of stunned silence Emelie reached out with her wing and tapped his shoulder, accepting his oath.  
“From a life-debt held to three owed, a strange day indeed my son.”  
Lucifer's words revealed the nature of the debt that Knight had owed, and in a way it did explain a lot of the hesitation he had showed when it came to joining the pack, and their visit to the halls.  


 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_The Light Who Fell_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)  


After his son's reunion with the spirits of his lost family their host had called for servants to bring a copious amount of strong alcoholic beverages and suitable snack foods to the garden and he was now challenging Takeshi to a drinking contest.  
“Now that is a waste of perfectly good _Orcha_.”  
Knight complained as he watched them down goblet after goblet of the silver liquid.  
“Oh, how come? My father for one can be rather amusing when drunk.”  
Roghan sat down and handed Knight and Emelie a goblet each of his father's prized Orcha.  
“Simple, Take can't get drunk unless he wants to. His body is far too efficient at clearing out any toxins from the system. He needs to actively suppress that to get drunk.”  
Knight kept his voice low so that he wouldn't interfere with the competition in front of them and while he spoke Emelie carefully inspected the liquid she had been given.  
“Is this stuff really safe to drink? It looks kinda like mercury mixed with glitter and a touch of purple glow stick liquid...”  
“Don't worry, it's even safe for regular humans, though they would get very drunk, very fast.”  
Roghan reassured her before starting to explain how Orcha was made.  


“Orcha is actually just a wine. The silver color comes from the fruit, as I'm sure you have noticed the fruits here all have various white or silver colors.”  
“It's because the light is different here, right? All the plants are purple with silver fruits.”  
Emelie's attention quickly shifted from the contest and focused onto Roghan's explanation.  
“That's right. The fruit we use grows in pairs like your cherries, but their flesh is more like pomegranates, small pebbles hidden by a tough rind, but with a single pit rather than an abundance of seeds and their taste is similar to the wild strawberries of your old world.”  
At the mention of wild strawberries Emelie instantly tasted the liquid and after a moment she broke out in a smile.  
“Wow, it really does taste like _smultron_! I need to find this fruit.”  
“I'm sure father won't mind if I invite my niece and her friends for a stroll in the orchards tomorrow.”  
The mention of their familial relation caused Emelie to blush slightly, she was still trying to come to terms with the fact that the black-eyed male was really her blood family.  
“I think I would enjoy that.”  
“Perhaps a visit to the winery as well? The old craft-masters there can surely explain more about how the yeast adds the that glittering rainbow effect, and the bacteria during the maturation gives the purple glow.”  
“Sounds like a plan. From the sound of it I will be stuck here for quite a while longer. Another week or two before I get to meet my dad, then another half a year for my introduction. And I have no idea how long I will have to stay after that to learn control.”  
“I'm sure you will learn fast, you are Shirai Lilim after all.”  
“I am Emelie, nothing more, nothing less!”  
She snapped back and for a moment Roghan looked like he would argue but then he thought better of it and used the opportunity to steer the conversation to her, and learning more about her.  
“So, who is _Emelie_ then? How did you end up here?”  


Emelie's recount of her life story was abruptly cut short by a rather loud crash followed by a triumphant laugh as Lucifer had fallen off his chair much to Takeshi's amusement, it also meant that Takeshi had won their little challenge.  
They watched Takeshi reach out and offer his hand and quickly pull Lucifer to his feet only to find himself spun around and the swaying male leaning against his back.  
“Too bad I can't seem to make you submit, I'm sure you would make a most interesting bed-mate.”  
While Lucifer spoke he carefully nipped at Takeshi's neck and shoulders, making sure not to be dominant enough to trigger a fight response.  
Roghan's sigh as they watched the display held a certain air of frustrated familiarity that made it quite obvious it was not the first time he had witnessed such behavior from his father.  
“My father is a horny drunk...”  
He explained to Emelie in a low whisper.  
“This could get interesting then, but he better keep his hands away from me...”  
“Don't worry, he would never act dishonorably, no matter how drunk he is.”  
As they spoke the scene in front of them changed when Takeshi grew tired of Lucifer clinging to his back making lewd suggestions and he quickly spun around so that he was facing the larger male and with a quick motion he snuck his hand around and took a solid grip over the base of his wings.  
“You know, if you are that curious **you** could always submit to **me**...”  
Takeshi accentuated his words with a sharp nip to the underside of Lucifer's jaw and the reaction was instant, quickly making things deteriorate to a teasing scuffle.  


“Well, whoever ends up in their beds tonight will be in for it...”  
Emelie sighed as her succubus nature picked up on the telltale signs of a strong need in both of them, the kind of need that would not abate unless sated.  
“Guess that will be you and one of the, more than willing, females from the palace harem.”  
“Hmph, no way! It's Take's fault I ended up owing your father a kiss, so he is **soo** in the doghouse tonight unless Logan, or perhaps Hugin or Munin, decides to take pity on him.”  
There was a strangled cough from Hugin as he choked on his drink at her insinuation that he would spend the night with Takeshi, but Munin just laughed.  
“Oh, how in the world did you end up owing my father a _kiss_ of all things?”  
Emelie just huffed at the teasing tone and began to tell him what had happened just before his arrival and by the time she got to the part where she was telling him how horrible his father was he was fighting to restrain his laughter.  
Telling him about how Lucifer had grabbed her and claimed his own reward broke the dam.  
Even Emelie's glare wasn't enough to stop the laughter, if anything it made Roghan laugh harder.  
“Careful Rog, she has your mother's temper.”  
A teasing warning was hear from Lucifer who was currently trying to pin Takeshi against one of the trees without much success.  
“More like she has **her** mother's temper.”  
Takeshi quipped in response and a moment later he yelped as Maria's spirit reacted and gave him a rather nasty shock by pulling from his unrestrained aura.  
“You get him mom!”  
Emelie cheered for her mother's spirit and Takeshi just muttered about his point being proven and dodged another attempt from Lucifer to restrain him and try to make him submit.  
“You know, if you are honest with yourself about it you pretty much brought it on yourself by making such an offer without knowing the abilities of the opponent.”  
Roghan managed to squeeze out between laughs.  
“Perhaps... But he's still in the doghouse!”  


They had been watching the somewhat odd mock fight for a while when Knight left the twins and joined them, asking for a private word with Roghan.  
_“Do you think you could convince your father to stop pushing Take so much?”  
“I could, but he does not seem to mind, and he gives as good as he gets so I don't see why I should...”_  
Knight took a deep breath, in a sense he would be betraying Takeshi's trust, but in this case he felt that it was necessary.  
_“Take is on the verge of entering his first heat. It's being suppressed right now, trying to keep it at bay long enough to be able to spend it with Em, to be able to mark her while in heat...”_  
A flicker of shock on Roghan's face quickly gave way to understanding.  
_“If his heat starts before her presentation she will not be permitted to spend it with him. And they would need some time for a formal courting after her presentation, then a marking during their, no doubt mutual, heat. And I suspect, at the peak of the eclipse...”_  
Roghan's tone held a pointed amusement.  
_“Hopefully... And your father's antics is further straining their already overtaxed ability to keep the heat at bay. Emelie is not making it any easier for them, but they refuse to tell her.”  
“Wait, them? Who if not my niece and your alpha?”  
“My alpha has a shadow within him, a result of how he became what he is. For the most part it acts as a reinforcement of his instincts, but it is a fully separate entity.”_  
Knight knew Takeshi would be upset that he told someone outside the pack about it, but with the life-debts willingly given he knew that Roghan would not betray the trust he placed in him.  
_“I see, I will do what I can. My niece deserves a chance for such a mating. Though, you really should tell her.”_  
_“So I keep telling him, but I honestly think he is too damn scared that she will turn him away...”  
“I wouldn't be concerned about that...”_  
Roghan looked between Takeshi and Emelie, and as he did his eyes shifted from a solid black to an equally solid silver.  
_“You are a seer...”  
“I am. And those two, they are soulmates.”  
“I kinda suspected they were, but it's good to have confirmation. Just don't let them know.”  
“Of course not. Now, how about you distract your alpha while I chase my father of to bed?”_  
Knight just nodded and together they advanced on the two males who were currently engaged in a bout of wrestling.  


Waiting for an opportunity they both stepped in when an opening appeared, pushing the two apart and turning their attention away.  
“Now, now Father. How about you go harass the ladies in the harem instead of your honored guest?”  
Roghan firmly pushed his objecting father toward the inner palace, had he not been so inebriated there would have been no way Roghan would have been able to make him move.  
“Come on Take, you need to relax, your control is slipping.”  
For a brief moment Knight's words were met by bared fangs as Takeshi struggled with his instincts.  
_“Easy, you need to calm down or you will trigger your heat. And if it starts now Em will not be allowed to spend it with you.”_  
The silent words finally reached through the haze of instincts and Takeshi closed his eyes and began to focus on his breathing, slowly slipping into an almost meditative state.  
“Take, Logan, is something wrong?”  
When Takeshi didn't answer her and instead just pushed her away slightly Knight finally had enough.  
_“Take, I'm telling her, she deserves to know.”  
“No!”_  
The silent demand was punctuated by a low growl and a flare of power.  
_“Only about the heat, I won't tell her of your plans to formally court her. I am not going to back down on this, you may be my alpha, but so is she and I will not allow you to hurt each other because you are too damn stubborn, or scared, to talk things out!”  
“Fine...”_  
Takeshi relented with an annoyed huff.  


“Em, you need to step back for a moment and let him get his instinct back under control. I will explain what is going on if you just go sit down for a while.”  
For a moment she looked hurt, but she did as he asked and while he worked on helping Takeshi calm down he began to explain.  
“Take is going into heat and he is trying to suppress and delay it for a while.”  
“Why not just let it start? I won't mind being locked up with him for a few days, or weeks. Unless... He doesn't....”  
Knight cursed silently to himself, she was jumping to all the wrong conclusions.  
“He does want you to spend the heat with him, that's why he is fighting so hard to suppress it.”  
“But..”  
She interrupted but Knight kept talking without allowing her to fully voice her question.  
“Remember that you are still considered a minor according to demon law. Until you have been presented you will not be allowed to be with him during his heat. They would either find another female to be with him, or I would return his favor from my own heat.”  
The suggestion that another female would spend the heat with him had her bristling and she only calmed slightly when Knight mentioned that he would offer to be the one to help Takeshi through the heat.  
“Is there anything I can do to help?”  
Knight knew that the next part could be troublesome, but he decided to take a page out of her book and just cut to the chase.  
“Try not to tease him, restrict you feeding as much as you can without losing control of your seduction. If you can, allow me to cover your feeding.”  
For a moment she considered his words, then he could feel the touch of her familiar as she kept her words for him alone.  
_“I appreciate the offer, but I can't. I'm sure you can understand that. I... I want him as my mate, even if I have to initiate a courting myself, and it would feel wrong to fully be with another male... I know it's just a stupid remnant of being human, but I can't.”_  
_“Easy, no one would call it stupid. If anything it's proof of your character, and loyalty. I would never want you to compromise that.”  
_

“I will try my best. But you boys all better be prepared to let me feed a lot more of your auras than I normally do.”  
Takeshi and Knight immediately promised her she could take as much as they were able to provide, even Hugin and Munin promised to allow her to feed from them.  
“I will also offer any assistance you may need. I have plenty of energy I can spare and I know a thing or two about suppressing a poorly timed heat. I am on a two year cycle after all...”  
Emelie startled slightly when Roghan spoke up from the edge of the garden, she had been so focused on Takeshi that she hadn't noticed him returning.  
“Biennial? And here I though my centennial cycle was bad...”  
Knight stared at the old demon that he had at one point in his life called ally, and friend.  
For a full-blooded demon to have such a short cycle was nearly unheard of, most would have cycles of about 500 years.  
“Father's cycle is annual, and my mother usually has four cycles in a year, more if she does not conceive...”  
“Damn...”  
Knight muttered with a hint of pity but Emelie, true to her succubus nature laughed and quipped about what an interesting life _that_ must be.  
“Since my father won't return tonight, how about I show you to the guest wing? You will have the entire place to yourself.”  
Roghan invited them with a smile, but Emelie instantly became hesitant.  
“But we didn't bring any clothes, and I promised the stable master I would pick up my lizard when we got back.”  
“Well, we could always have it brought here as it would be much easier for me to show you the orchards and winery if you and your pack are staying here. As for clothes I do believe I owe you a few birthday presents.”  
Emelie's mood instantly brightened and she spun around with a smile.  
“Okay. But I'll go get her myself. Be right back!”  
With a quick jump she stepped into Knight's shadow and vanished, no doubt reappearing in the palace stables.  
“Definitely no question who her father is...”  
Roghan mused as she vanished.  


They all took a seat, engaging in idle chatter while waiting for Emelie to return so that Roghan could show them to the guestrooms.  


 


	5. Tar & Feathers

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Tar & Feathers_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

The deep sound of a large crystal bell, or maybe even a singing bowl along with the flare of a small but calm aura brought Takeshi from his sleep and soon he could hear quick, soft, footsteps approaching.  
The calm aura gently spread, searching them out, they had been given free reins of the many rooms of the guest wing so the visitor had no other way of knowing which room they were in, unless they looked in all of them.  
Soon there was a gentle knock on the door of the small room that they had picked, and filled with pillows and bedding from several of the other rooms to turn it into the familiar den style sleeping area.  
“Enter.”  
Takeshi called out softly and gave a slight pulse of his aura, not wanting to wake Emelie who was still sleeping.  
A few moments later a small, winged, female entered, she was clearly not one of the obsidian angels, her wings were different, and her energy felt different as well, more like the youkai he was used to.  
“Good morning. Our Lord and his son had asked that you join them for a morning meal at the 8th mark of dawn.”  
Takeshi looked at wrist out of habit, only to remember had was wearing a bracelet, not his watch as it was of little use to him in the halls.

The daily cycle was 50 hours, and it was divided into four parts, morning, day, evening and night, these parts in turn were divided into 10 _marks_ , but to make things extra complicated the length of a mark varied.  
Morning, or _Dawn_ , spanned from the 5th hour of the cycle to the 10th hour, so each mark was half an hour, then came _Day_ which lasted from the 10th hour to the 40th hour, again being 10 marks each mark was 4 hours long.  
Then came the evening, _Dusk,_ which like morning was just 5 hours, from the 40th hour to the 45th hour, and finally the _Night_ lasted between the 45th hour and the 5th hour of the following day, midnight was the 5th mark of night.  
It had taken a while, but after a year he had adapted somewhat and he estimated that it was currently the 5th or maybe 6th mark of dawn so another hour, maybe an hour and a half.

“I will return in two marks to show the way, please be ready by then.”  
She confirmed his estimate, and when she turned around he got an opportunity to study her wings closer, they were a simple gray and brown that reminded a bit of a sparrow and even their shape was different, more like an actual bird than the angels, or Emelie for that matter.  
“ _Suzume_?”  
His words were barely a whisper but she instantly froze and when he thought about she did look a lot like the _Suzume_ , tree sparrows, that used to hunt in the garden of the Kiryu estate in Okinawa.  
“How did you know that I'm a suzume?”  
“I grew up in Japan and your wings look just like a sparrow's.”  
He didn't elaborate, he wanted to try to find out a bit more about her first.  
“I was born in Hokkaido, where did you grow up?”  
She instantly switched to Japanese and he could clearly hear the Hokkaido dialect in her speech.”  
“Okinawa.”  
It felt a bit strange to speak and hear Japanese after such a long time and Takeshi found that he enjoyed the opportunity to use the language of his childhood.

“So, how does a sparrow from Hokkaido end up working as a maid at the Obsidian Palace?”  
“My mate...”  
There was a hint of an old pain as she answered and for a moment Takeshi was worried that perhaps she had lost a mate and found herself unable to stay with the memories.  
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring you discomfort.”  
“It's okay. It's all water under the bridge now.”  
She told him about how she had grown up in a large _flock_ back in Hokkaido, and how they had not been very approving of her allowing herself to be courted by a _flightless_ , who, to add insult to injury, was not even a youkai, but a foreign demon.  
“I didn't listen, I didn't care what they thought. I was so in love. And when I finally opened my soul to his it became obvious, he was my soulmate and we mated that very night.”

In the end her flock had refused to accept that her soulmate was not a sparrow, or at least a bird youkai of some sort and they shunned her, so she and her mate left and began to search for a new home.  
Her mate brought her to the demon realm, and after wandering for many years they ended up in the Obsidian Halls.  
“My condolences. It can't be easy for a passerine to lose her flock.”  
“Better my flock than my soulmate. They were actually considering killing him rather than accepting the mating.”  
For a brief moment Takeshi felt the urge to kill something, few survived the loss of a soulmate once the bond had been formed and for her own flock, the pack of her kind, to even consider killing her mate lit a dark rage in him.  
The anger that played through his aura was enough to disturb Emelie's sleep and soon she was having a rather energetic conversation with Mika as the sparrow called herself, Takeshi could tell it wasn't her real name though.  
When Takeshi heard the conversation shift to courting, and mating he paused for a moment, maybe meeting Mika was more fortunate than he had though, not only was she mated, she had had a troublesome courting.  
Takeshi knew that many would object to him courting Emelie, she was Lilim, royalty and in their eyes he was nothing, not even a demon.  
Then clarity came as sudden as a bolt of lightning, Mika had not come to them by chance, he was suddenly convinced that their host, or his son, had intentionally picked Mika to be their maid so that she could teach and guide Emelie in matters concerning courting, and mating.  
He wasn't sure if he should thank the one responsible, or give them a sound beating for meddling.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Tar & Feathers_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

The breakfast was ridiculously large, even by Takeshi's standards, no doubt needed to sate the hunger of their host as the obsidian angels did need to eat based on their true size, Hugin and Munin had been quite surprised that they were not the biggest eaters in their little home.  
“A sweet treat?”  
Lucifer offered Emelie a small plate with velvety, dark red, almost black, spheres, but just as she was about to take one Roghan intervened and snatched the plate away while scolding his father.  
“What?”  
Emelie was slightly distraught at the sudden turn of events.  
“That's _Manashii_ , shiiza berries soaked in orcha and then dipped in _Manaroka_ , something similar to chocolate.”  
“Wait, did he just try to feed me an aphrodisiac?”  
The glare she leveled on their host would make most men run for the hills.  
“Indeed he did. The berries are the most potent part of the plant, and mixing them with alcohol increases their effect, as does sweet things. Manashii is the the most potent non-magical lust inducer there is.”

Takeshi shared one look with Knight and they were both counting down silently, and true to character Emelie exploded on the count of four and pounced with a shriek and they ended up laughing at the startled squawk and puff of feathers as her target tried to flee, only to realize that his attacker was a more agile flier.  
“She is really good.”  
Roghan commented between bites.  
“She has improved a lot since we got here, being able to practice with other fliers has really helped her confidence.”  
Takeshi watched with pride as Emelie outmaneuvered her larger opponent and managed to get behind him and latch on to his back, no doubt with a solid grip on the mashen _._  
The success of her attack resulted in a yelp, and a burst of somewhat distraught chirping.  
“You didn't need any help getting into trouble so why should I help you out of it?”  
Roghan teased his father and rejected his plea to be rescued.

When Emelie re-joined them she looked every bit like the cat that caught the canary, and Lucifer did an excellent impression of the canary that got caught, wings all rumpled and rather scruffy looking, courtesy of the armful of feathers Emelie was carrying.  
“She is scary when she's mad...”  
Lucifer muttered while trying to get his feathers back into some semblance of order, which was hard with a whole bunch of them missing, right now he would have hard time flying, but they would regrow by morning.  
“She is, so I suggest you try not to piss her off again.”  
There was no sympathy to be had, only wide grins and teasing quips.  
Meanwhile Emelie just took a seat at one of the many unused seats and spread her bounty in front of her and began to arrange the long feathers into a large fan.  
Pausing to look at it for a moment she turned to Lucifer.  
“You can change the size of these, right?”  
“I can.”  
“Then do it, I want them to be twice the length of my hand.”  
For a moment he seemed like he would decline her request, but a glare at his remaining feathers quickly changed his mind.

Though, Takeshi knew Emelie wasn't really any match for the powerful creature, Lucifer was merely indulging her since he had after all gotten himself into the situation by trying to trick her to eat Manashii.  
He was sure she was well aware as well, but that didn't stop her from taking advantage of the situation.  
“Now join them so I can fold and unfold them.”  
She had once again arranged the feathers into a fan, and Lucifer had seemed somewhat concerned when she had reached over and snatched a few more feathers to complete her little craft, but he didn't stop her.  
With the feathers arranged to taste she demanded he finish it so that she could use her new folding feather fan.  
“Testing what to do if you get an opportunity to pluck those guards?”  
Knight teased her while inspecting her new accessory.  
“Nah, I doubt their feathers would be fine enough. Maybe make a feather trim for my hunting cloak?”  
Before Knight had a chance to answer her Lucifer spoke up.

“That's right, you did mention that the guards who brought you here behaved inappropriately?”  
“More like extremely rude. Denying us the time to get cleaned up and change clothes in order to try and shame us. Constantly complaining of slowness of the _flightless_. Trying to deny Hugin and Munin their blades. Even trying to make Takeshi submit by demanding he remove his seals for them.”  
“And your suggested punishment for their transgressions?”  
“Pluck them clean, then parade them through town wearing nothing but tar and their own feathers.”  
Emelie had a rather evil smirk as she explained in detail what she wanted to do to the guards.  
“Now that is downright devious. I like it!”  
He seemed to have completely forgotten about his own partial plucking at her hands.  
“Totally and utterly humiliating while allowing them to be back on their posts in a day or two. It's perfect! I'll have the guards summoned to the throne room after we are done eating, then you can have your way with them.”  
He quickly called for his majordomo to enter and after a short conversation the old demon bowed and left to carry out his master's wishes.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Tar & Feathers_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Even before they entered the throne room they could feel that it was packed to the rafters with spectators, all there to witness what was in essence a trial.  
At the base of the large stairs of the dais with the throne the two guards were shackled to the floor with deceptively thin bonds, but the slender silvery chains and manacles were radiating old, powerful, magic.  
The black robes and light armor of the royal guard had been removed and replaced by a simple gray chiton that was tied at the waist with a coarse rope.  
Taking a seat Lucifer nodded for the proceedings to start and the guards names was announced.  
“Can't we just call them Humpty and Dumpty?”  
Emelie's whispered question caused a few snickers among those that were close enough to hear.  
“Humpty and Dumpty it is then.”  
He pointed to them in turn before nodding to the herald to read the charges.

The herald had barely finished speaking when both guards broke out into rapid chittering, and though they were speaking much too fast for Takeshi and his pack to grasp more than a few words here and there, the disdain in their tone was obvious.  
After a few moments they could feel the black fire of Lucifer's aura gather and then lash out at the chained guards.  
“You will speak Urui!”  
They instantly objected, but after another push of raw power they obeyed.  
“A nameless weakling of a succubus, her mortal freak of a lover and the mongrel son of a mountain whore. Baseborn trash like them have no right to speak against their betters. And those mottled crows are just as bad.”  
Takeshi was struggling to keep his temper concealed when he felt Emelie's tail wrap around his wrist and as she did he could feel a trickle of fear from her that was quickly growing stronger, though concerned about what had her so agitated he couldn't help a measure of pride that none of her fear showed in her aura or scent.  
 _“What's the matter sweetie?”  
“I'm scared....”  
“I can feel that. What has you so afraid?”_  
He could tell it wasn't the guard's ranting that scared her.  
 _“Me...”  
“I'm going to need a bit more than that sweetie.”  
“Part of me wants to reach out, touch their aura and drain them until nothing but shriveled husks remain. It's so strong I can barely keep it at bay.”  
“Their insults are grave enough for any of us to demand their lives, my beast is doing the same, and I have no doubt that our beta feels the same way, and our raven brothers as well.”_  
While Takeshi tried to soothe her fears the two guards had kept on about how they were the lowest of the low and thus had no right to claim insult and they could feel anger building behind them, both Roghan and his father were about to move, but Roghan moved first.

“Nameless weakling you say? Your senses must be really pathetic if you cannot tell what she is, who she is.”  
He stepped forward and held out his hand for Emelie to join him and after a slight push from Takeshi she did.  
“She is Emelie Eriksson, Co-Alpha of Pack Kiryu, Shirai Lilim, Daughter of Maroue, Son of the House of Shadow and Maria Eriksson. A proven huntress who passed the trials on her second attempt, a lilim who is stronger than most in this hall, and she has yet to be brought before Lady Lilith. She is a most honored guest of my father, your Lord!”  
With a small nod Roghan signaled for Takeshi to join them.  
“He is Takeshi Kiryu, Alpha of Pack Kiryu, a proven hunter who passed the trials on his first attempt. He is a most honored guest of my father, your Lord!”  
Another small nod and Knight joined them as well.  
“He is Logan Knight, Beta of Pack Kiryu, Son of the Lost Mountain, a proven hunter who passed the trials on his first attempt. He is a most honored guest of my father, your Lord!”  
It was formal, fancy, and Takeshi was grateful that Roghan hadn't mentioned anything about him being chosen by the Mother, respecting their wish to keep his powers a secret for as long as possible.  
The instant flare of fear, and apologetic blabbering from the guards made it quite clear that they were realizing just how badly they had messed up and unaware of what their punishment would be they were trying to save themselves.

“ _What's the matter?”_  
Takeshi almost flinched at the touch of Lucifer's mind, it was vastly different from any other he had touched so far and it would take some getting used to.  
Takeshi focused on his mental shields for a moment before asking him to clarify.  
 _“I have daughters, and granddaughters who are succubi, they all do the tail-wrap when unsettled about something.”_  
Takeshi couldn't help a smile at the thought of a gaggle of young succubi getting the Lord of the place wrapped up in their tails and he could hear Emelie snicker as she picked up on the image as well.  
 _“It's nothing serious, a bit of a culture clash. Her demon instincts are telling her she should kill them for their transgressions, while her lingering human cultural sensibilities are telling her that such a reaction would be far too extreme, and she still has a strong aversion against killing in general.”  
“Ah, nothing to worry about then. Most Lilim born from a human mother go through it after their awakening. Some never get over it, but they learn to live with it. Let me guess, the intensity of her demon instincts scare her at times?”  
“Indeed. Mine do the same from time to time.”_  
During the silent conversation Roghan had taken charge of the trial and was giving the guards a guilty verdict, before sentencing them to be at Emelie's mercy for one day, as long as they did not insult her or her pack further they would be allowed to live.

 

“You better keep still or I will ask my alpha to assist me, and he might not leave your _mashen_ in one piece.”  
Emelie warned the guard as she released the bindings on his wings so that she would have access to pluck the feathers.  
The guard kept his head down but nodded slightly before shifting his wings out to the sides, the gesture not only submissive, but also allowing Emelie better access to pluck the feathers.  
Knight found himself somewhat impressed that the young guard manage to stay still, and mostly quiet when Emelie began to pluck the feathers one by one and place them in large baskets that had been brought for that purpose, the finest feathers she put aside into a smaller basket to keep..  
“I suggest you focus on suppressing the regrowth of your feathers, because she won't stop until she has plucked you clean.”  
Knight decided to take some pity on the guard and give him a piece of advice to get him through his punishment faster.  
While they all watched Emelie meticulously pluck his wings clean there was no sign of resistance, only the occasional, small, involuntary, chirp of pain when she pulled a particularly bad feather.  
The acceptance of the punishment showed that there might be some hope for the guard, and it seemed it was working to soothe Emelie's instincts as when she was done she brushed her wing over the trembling guard's head in a gesture that read like _Good boy_ or maybe _Well done_.

The older guard however was an entirely different matter, he was cursing and struggling even before Emelie began, and on top of it all he refused to speak Urui which only served to piss Emelie off even more.  
“Alpha, would give me a hand please?”  
“Of course.”  
The grim smirk on Takeshi's face revealed that his instincts were also in an uproar, demanding that the guards pay for their insults, and it promised pain if the guard didn't submit and keep still, which Knight doubted he would.  
As suspected the guard kept struggling, even when Takeshi dug his claws into the base of the wings and with a look at the Lord for permission he increased the pressure, and many of the spectators squirmed and flinched when they heard the guard cry out as the bone snapped.  
 _“Easy Take, don't let the darkness take hold.”_  
Knight cautioned as he could feel the chill of the darkness flow through the bond and for a moment there was a push of cold power trying to make him back down before it abated and Takeshi's usual fire was all that remained.  
Though it quickly became clear that the darkness had affected Emelie, her succubus traits were showing more clearly with the horns becoming visible and she was growing increasingly rough with the second guard.  
When she was satisfied with the plucking she turned to the slightly steaming cauldron that held a sticky green slime that looked like something produced by a nightmare cold and began to slather it all over the body of the guard before pouring his feathers back over him.  
She quickly did the same to the younger guard, though her handling of him was far gentler than how she had handled his older colleague, giving the substance a moment to cool off before painting it on his skin so that it would not scald him.

With the _Tar & Feathers_ part done the guards were released from the floor and directed to walk toward the city, the younger guard walked on his own, head held high he managed to give of a air of pride despite his state, and the submissive pose of his naked wings.  
The older guard had to be frogmarched and made a rather pitiful sight, cursing and fighting, one wing dragging useless behind him and the other hanging limply.  
As they walked toward the marketplace more and more of the citizens joined them and when they arrived most of the city was there.  
The herald announced the crimes of the guards, and what their punishment was, and all while the older guard screamed and raged about how it was all lies the younger guard just bowed his head in acceptance.  
Even when the spectators began throwing things at them the younger guard didn't move, or even flinch, he showed no reaction at all until Emelie's wing suddenly extended in front of him and blocked what looked like a durian, but with longer, sharper spikes, from hitting his face.  
“They are not to be harmed unless by my hands, or my word.”  
Her wings were flaring with her temper and the agitated crowd quickly settled down when faced with the display.

As the crowd quieted down Takeshi noticed that Knight's attention seemed to be drifting and following his line of sight Takeshi spotted the reason, Brenna was standing at the back of the crowd, and behind her the shadeling loomed, partially merged with the shadow of a tree.  
 _“Go. Talk to her, make sure she's okay.”_  
Knight just nodded and slid away from the platform that was usually used for auctions but at the moment served as a dais.  
While Knight trusted that the shadeling would look after Brenna, or rather Takeshi did for some reason and Knight trusted Takeshi, he still took his duties as her guide serious and would not be able to fully relax until he had a chance to check on her.  
“Logan!”  
Brenna called out and waved as he got closer while the shadeling only gave him a slight nod as acknowledgment.  
“Brenna.”  
Knight greeted the energetic angel with a hug and carefully slid his hand to the base of her wings which earned him an embarrassed yelp that soon shifted into a chittering coo as she leaned into him.  
“I'm sorry I couldn't stay yesterday. How are you handling things?”  
“It's okay. You couldn't very well ignore a royal summon and our shadeling friend here took good care of me.”  
Knight took a long look at the shadeling before answering her with a shrug.  
“It's no doubt trying to gain Take's favor in hope to grace his bed.”  
The shadeling just gave him a wide grin in response, not trying to hide its intent.  
“Well, for some reason he trusts you so I will give you a chance to prove your worth.”  
“Most generous.”  
There was a slight teasing quip in the shadeling's tone but Knight just smirked at it, during the hunt he had found that it had a wicked sense of humor and he didn't believe there would be any problems for it to tease Takeshi into bed once the heat was over with.  
After a moment of consideration he decided to warn the shadeling about Takeshi approaching heat.  
 _“I would strongly suggest against trying anything right now though, I will not allow you to do anything that might trigger his heat.”  
“Have no worries. I would never risk interfering with a potential heat-mating. Especially between true mates.”_  
As suspected the shadeling knew a lot more than they should, but Knight trusted in Takeshi's trust.  
A pulse of Emelie's aura interrupted their conversation and signaled that she was about to finish the guards punishment.

They watched Emelie turn to the older guard first.  
“From this day on you will only be known as _Humpty_ , your name no longer yours. You life is mine to take, but I will settle for taking you name, and your flight. What remains I gift to the Lord of these lands to do with as he sees fit.”  
The cheering was near deafening and she silenced them with a flare of power before continuing.  
“What a free man would have earned for your duties will be divided between your mate and any offspring that has yet to reach their majority, if there are no such offspring half will be given to the mate, the rest to aid orphans and widows, if there is no mate all will be granted to such aid.”  
Once again the older guard began protesting, but before he could say much Lucifer stepped in and bound him with runes that forced him to silence while Emelie just ignored him and turned to the younger guard who was looking rather nervous.  
“Dumpty, once you realized what you had done you never tried to deny your wrongdoings and you accepted your punishment with dignity and you bore the pain well. Rise, speak your name and be forgiven. But be warned, I have not forgotten, cross me or mine again and you will beg for the mercy of death.”  
The guard rose and spoke his name before bowing low to Emelie.  
“You may call me as you wish Lady Lilim. I am forever in your debt.”  
“Then you will be _Merle_ , my little blackbird. Take five days, regrow your feathers, regain your strength, then return to your position as guard, and a free man. And you better learn to address me by my name.”  
”As you wish Lady Emelie.”  
Her choice of name made both Takeshi and Knight shake their heads with a smile, but the guard seemed to be happy enough with it.

Knight turned back to Brenna and the shadeling while keeping half an eye on the podium where Lucifer's personal guards bound the one Emelie had named Humpty and a few other guards released Merle and began to escort him home to serve five days of house arrest, his punishment would not be officially over until he returned to his post.  
“How about you two join us for a meal so we can talk some more?”  
Knight offered his arm to Brenna while nodding to the shadeling to join them.  
“At the palace?!”  
Brenna was unable to fully hide the nervous chirp.  
“At the palace.”  
Knight confirmed with a wide grin as he guided her to the others.  
Takeshi greeted her much the same way as Knight had, though, when he slipped his hand to the mashen she gave him a hard slap on the chest in objection before leaning into the touch with a huffing sigh.  
It didn't take long for Takeshi to bring out the chittering coo that gave away her appreciation of the touch though.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Tar & Feathers_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

Brenna was looking around the garden with wide eyes and every now and then they could hear a small nervous chirp as she struggled with the fact that she was at the palace, in one of the private gardens, and about to share a meal with the Lord as an honored guest.  
Knight just smiled at her and brought her to the table where the others were already seated and Emelie patted on the seat next to her, inviting Brenna to join her before looking across the table at Takeshi and the shadeling discussing which cut of Gong was the most succulent.  
“By the way, you never told us your name. We only know the name of your house.”  
Emelie poked the shadeling with her tail.  
“My name is long, and near impossible for a non-shadeling to pronounce. But you may call me Ylian.”  
“Ylian, that's not what I'd call an easy name either...”  
Emelie complained a bit as it took her a few tries to get the odd name right, Ylian countered by telling her their true name, which made everyone groan and shake their heads in defeat, there was no way they would be able to say it correctly.

“So, Brenna. Any more courting requests?”  
Emelie quickly shifted the subject away from their inability to pronounce Ylian's name and onto more interesting matters.  
“Yeah, a whole bunch of them.”  
Brenna's deep sigh made it perfectly clear that she wasn't all too happy about it.  
“Ouch, that bad huh? Not even one of them of interest?”  
“They seem nice enough, but, no...”  
“Oh, have someone in mind do you?”  
Emelie leaned in with a conspiratorial smile.  
“Um, well, kinda... Yeah, I do...”  
Brenna's blush turned her face a deep, shimmering black.  
“I say screw traditions! You go grab that guy by the mashen, if he has one, if not, the balls should do, and offer **him** a courting.”  
Emelie huffed.  
“I wish it was that easy.”  
Brenna's sigh held a touch of sadness that instantly made the others quiet down and focus on her.

“What's wrong?”  
Knight pulled Brenna closer and with a sigh she shrunk her size slightly so that she would fit better into his lap.  
“The one I want, his younger brother is one of the males that have requested courting-rights.”  
“And the older brother wouldn't want to interfere with his younger brothers courting...”  
Knight quickly surmised  
“Exactly.”  
Brenna confirmed.  
“The brother is a nice enough guy, but he's, well, not very interesting. He's just, I don't know, too nice?”  
“A bit of a _toffel,_ huh?”  
Emelie added with a teasing quip.  
“A what?”  
Brenna looked rather confused, but the others seemed to know what Emelie was referring to.  
“Oh, it's Swedish, my native language, it means slipper, usually a soft, indoor slipper. But in this case it's what we call guys that are kinda softies, always sucking up or doing everything for their women, meek, not showing any real will of their own.”  
“That sounds about right. Nice and sweet, but, lacking that something. You're lucky you know. Both your _boys_ are nice and sweet, but they have **plenty** of that _something_...”  
“Nice and sweet, sure, as long as you don't challenge them, or threaten the pack...”  
Lucifer muttered from his seat at the head of the table.  
“Oh, they can be _soo_ sweet when they want to get laid.”  
Emelie quipped while giving Takeshi and Knight a mock glare, and after a few moments she included Lucifer and Ylian for good measure.

“I might have a solution for that, if you are willing to go through with a double courting.”  
Knight offered with a slight hesitation, unsure of how the obsidian society looked upon such courtings.  
“Perhaps. What did you have in mind?”  
Knight explained that he would put the suitors through a trial of sorts, putting them through a series of tests.  
They would together reject them one by one, and for the brother, tell him that he had been found lacking, but that the courting would be allowed if he brings another male into it to make up for his shortcomings.  
The natural choice would be a close relative, and if he brought someone else they would simply reject the choice as lacking.  
“I think I can do that. I would prefer a single courting, and mating. But if that is what it takes to have a chance to see if he is a good match then so be it. I know the younger brother is not a true mate for me, but I think the older brother is.”  
“Then perhaps the younger will withdraw his courting if he finds that you and his brother are a true match.”  
“Maybe, I'm actually more concerned about how my father will react. The one I want is an accomplished hunter, but he has no desire to join the guards, or make any form of career other than as a hunter. I know father will prefer the younger brother, a scholar with a good chance of being accepted into the council.”  
They spent several hours talking and repeatedly reassuring Brenna that they would do all they could to make sure she got a chance to enter courting with her hunter.

Brenna's distress over the courting was pulling on Takeshi's instincts and he found himself having an increasingly hard time maintaining the calm needed to help the Beast suppress the heat and he was just about to excuse himself when he felt a pair of strong, cool hands on his shoulders.  
“Ylian...”  
There was a hint of warning in Takeshi's tone.  
“Worry not. Focus on quelling your fire. I can aid.”  
At first Takeshi doubted it, especially considering the sensitive nature of his tattoos but he soon found himself relaxing under the obviously well trained touch.  
“You have a soothing touch.”  
Takeshi's voice was low, and carried a content sigh.  
“What better than a cool shadow to calm a raging inferno? Your little Lilim may be ice to match your fire, but her succubus nature would make it hard for her to calm you right now.”  
There was a slight teasing purr in Ylian's tone that was accompanied by a slightly harder press into a particularly tight knot.  
“ _Yi_ is just trying to suck up to increase _yi's_ chances of getting into your bed once your heat is over.”  
Emelie quipped from her hiding-spot in Roghan's lap, Knight had his hands full with Brenna, and Hugin and Munin were far to used to obeying their Lord to be of much use to keep him from harassing her too much.  
She couldn't resist the smile that crept to her face as she used to rather unfamiliar _'yi'_ , it had taken a while to get used to using a gender neutral third-person pronoun when referring to someone you knew, who was present.  
But shadelings didn't have genders, all shadelings were able to carry offspring, and they were all able to impregnate others capable of carrying offspring.  
Ylian did feel mostly male though, but there were times when they, yi, she reminded herself, felt more female, or neither, or both so she tried to remember to use the Urui pronoun _'yi'_ when referring to Ylian and other shadelings.

“Oh, I have no doubt about that.”  
Takeshi's laughing reply caused a shift in Ylian's aura that was suspiciously similar to embarrassment.  
“So, Ylian. Feel like telling us why you are so set on bedding my Take?”  
There was a slight challenge in Emelie's voice that told them that she was exercising her right as co-alpha, under demon law she had the right to reject a potential suitor, or lover.  
For a long moment Ylian was silent, then with a deep sigh they spoke up, answering her question.  
“I wish to become _pana,_ to spawn a brood of my own _._ And your precious alpha has energies that I can feel would give strong offspring. Little whelps that would stand a chance to survive and grow into strong shadelings.”  
The mention of children, especially children fathered by Takeshi brought a familiar pang of pain and longing to Emelie, but she pushed it aside to focus on the matter at hand.  
“Just how would that work, since shadelings are genderless?”  
“When we are ready to become pana, what you would call mothers, we change slightly and start storing energy in a special chamber that acts like a womb. We are able to spawn whelps on our own, but they would be weak and most would not survive.”  
Ylian paused for a moment to allow Emelie to calm down as the mention of losing offspring had her rather upset.  
“To avoid this we seek the aid of another strong being, ideally one whose energies complement our own. We draw from their auras and mix the energy with our own within the chamber and then finally we add a catalyst similar to your hormones to initiate the spawning.”  
“Sounds like sex isn't really needed?”  
Emelie's curiosity was quickly making her forget about her own fears and desires about having children.

“It isn't, but it is the best catalyst for a strong spawning. The more satisfied the pana is, the stronger the catalyst, and the greater the chance for a successful spawning.”  
“You better put some real effort in then, show yi what you are really capable off.”  
The teasing comment was enough to tell everyone that she had accepted Ylian's wish, and that it now was up to Takeshi if he agreed.  
“I guess I do.”  
The words were soft, and accompanied by a brush of aura that carried a hint of promise that made Ylian shiver, they would be granted a chance to become pana, to spawn with the powerful male in front of them.  
Despite their age they found themselves nervous, and almost giddy, like a youngster before their first guide.  
“Thank you young alpha for agreeing to aid me.”  
“It will have to wait until after my heat though.”  
“Of course.”  
“Heat?”  
Brenna's surprise had the others snickering in amusement.  
“Indeed, I'm on the verge of my first heat, but it's being suppressed as I very much want to spend it with my sweet little co-alpha.”  
“Oh, right. I forgot she has not been introduced yet. She is so strong, and she has two pairs of horns...”  
“Actually, I think I might be growing a third pair... I'm not sure though.” 

The hesitant admission caused quite a stir and a few moments later she had Lucifer, Roghan and Ylian eagerly sifting through her hair in search of signs of another pair of horns growing.  
“Well I'll be... Here, look.”  
Lucifer gently moved some of her hair to the side so the others could see the tiny bumps on her head that were radiating power.  
“I don't think I have ever heard of a shirai numiriil with three pairs of horns before.”  
Roghan was clearly impressed.  
“I know of a few arai, but no shirai.”  
Ylian's agreement made Emelie squirm a bit, uncomfortable with the way they spoke of her power.  
“It's totally gonna mess up my hair!”  
She repeated her earlier complaint, trying to dispel the intense attention and it worked well as all three stepped back with amused snorts.  
“Don't worry Em, the horns usually grow to form a circlet or crown of sorts that will help keep your hair out of your face. And if you want to I can have one of the palace hairdressers come help you and teach you how to create all those crazy hairdos the ladies favor with your horns in mind.”  
“I... I think I would like that... Have someone teach me how to do it myself I mean.”  
“You truly are an independent creature, aren't you?”  
The mix of pride and something akin to awe in Lucifer's voice made Takeshi voice a low growl in objection and for once Lucifer's wings and aura reflected submission.  
“Easy there alpha, I have no intention of stealing her away as long as you treat her right.”  
Lucifer slowly backed away from her, making sure not to make any sudden moves that would further trigger Takeshi's ruffled instincts.  
Ylian did move back slightly as well, but Takeshi suspected it was to cover up the fact that he didn't react to them, or Roghan, being close to her as they were both too closely related to her for him to consider either of them a threat.

“Easy alpha, no one is stealing me away from my pack, from my alpha, my love.”  
Emelie brushed her fingers against Takeshi's face before grabbing him and pulling him down so she could kiss him and for once there were no catcalls, hoots or teasing quips, everyone just watched in silence, awed by the raw emotion displayed.  
When Takeshi took hold of her and returned the kiss with an almost desperate urgency there was a soft chirp from Brenna, followed by a breathless _Wow_.  
True to character Takeshi broke of the kiss a few moments later and set his sights on Brenna who instantly turned pure black, but didn't do anything to reject his advance, or stop him from kissing her.  
Though the kiss she received didn't carry the overwhelming feeling of love, it was no less intense and when he broke away she was looking rather dazed and the soft chirping was quite telling of her state of mind.  
“Take! You broke Brenna!”  
Emelie's teasing complaint snapped Brenna from her daze and a moment later a loud crack sounded through the small garden as Brenna slapped Takeshi hard enough to leave a bright red handprint on his face.  
“You get him girl!”  
There was no sympathy to be had for Takeshi, but plenty of cheering for Brenna.

“If all that is out of your system, how about we make some plans for what to do while we wait for Maroue to return?”  
Lucifer was still shaking with repressed laughter as he tried to steer the conversation to something productive.  
“Well, I have promised my sweet little niece to show her the orchards and the winery as she is curious about how _Irri_ is grown and how orcha is made. So I was planning on taking her tomorrow.”  
“Now that sound like an excellent idea, especially since I will be on court duty tomorrow and won't be able to entertain our guests.”  
“Oh, you judge things yourself?”  
“Only cases where the parties are not pleased with the ruling of the court and believe they can gain my favor to have the ruling changed.”  
“And do you change the rulings?”  
“On occasion, but the members of my court are thorough, most of the time I will rule to have their ruling stand.”  
“I see. It's good that there is a way to appeal though.”  
“It is, but even my ruling isn't the end, they can try to have their case brought before the Grand Tribunal of the Lords. All the high lords, and ladies, are represented there, and Lady Lilith has the final say. Females tend to try that venue more frequently as the Tribunal is known for being harsh on males who has wronged a female.”  
“No doubt my grandmother's doing from what I have heard about her.”  
“Indeed...”

The courts mostly handled cases where someone powerful used their power in an abusive manner toward someone unable to defend themselves, as between more equal parts grievances were usually solved by challenge.  
The courts also ruled on cases where restitution was demanded if the involved parties were unable to reach an agreement on their own.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Tar & Feathers_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Manda and the twins would love this place!”  
Emelie was flying low above a large pond, teasing the fish by dragging the tip of her tail across the surface of the water.  
It turned out that the _Irri_ fruit that was used to make orcha was a actually a parasitic plant that lived on a kind of swamp or water tree that resembled a bald cypress, these trees were grown in large ponds connected by slow flowing streams.  
Along the edges of the water large, willow like, trees grew, but unlike the willow trees of the human realm these carried large clusters of fruits similar to date palms.  
The fish in the artificial ponds were a mix of demonic carp, and trout, forming an aquaponic system, the carp would feed on algae and various weed plants while the trout fed on the carp, together they fertilized the water for the large trees and the trees supplied the fast growing irri with all the nutrients it needed.  
A loud yelp followed by cursing shifted Takeshi's attention from the willow trees and back to Emelie, who had unintentionally managed to catch one of the large trouts, with her tail.  
The carp only chased and nibbled at it when she dipped it into the water, but the gathering of carp had attracted one of the predatory trouts and it had leapt out of the water and clamped down on the tip of her tail and refused to let go.

“Well, I guess Em's lunch is sorted.”  
Takeshi barely managed to get the words out between the the laughs.  
“Nice catch Lady Emelie, but I suggest you borrow a net if you wish to catch more. It should prove less painful.”  
The old orchard master teased her, while also praising her catch, it was indeed a nice specimen of the demonic trout and she was having a bit of a hard time holding onto it while flying to the beach where she promptly dropped the large fish on top of Takeshi.  
“This. Blasted. Fish. Has. **Fangs**..!”  
Takeshi complained while trying to keep the threshing creature from taking a bite out of him.  
“No kidding... Look at what it did to my poor tail!”  
Emelie was carefully cradling her tail while Munin thoroughly cleaned the deep bite-marks to make sure there wouldn't be any infections.  
Her demonic nature made her very resilient to infection and poisons, but this was a bite from a demonic creature and could have contaminants that would affect even her.  
“At least it didn't bite it off. You are not a lizard, you might not be able to regrow a lost limb.”  
The horrified look on Emelie's face when Munin reminded her that she could have lost a good part of her tail had the others laughing and before long she was chasing them around the orchard much to the amusement of the orchard workers.

“You mentioned we could catch a few of the fish, how many? And are there any specific ones you want us to catch, or not catch?”  
Once satisfied with her little chase Emelie headed back to the Orchard Master to inquire about the mention off using a net to catch fish.  
“You can catch as many you want as long as you don't catch any that are smaller than that one, or larger than double its size. It's time to cull them anyway before they eat all the carp.”  
“Okay!”  
Emelie quickly went to talk to one of the other workers about nets for catching them while Takeshi approached the one who was clearly in charge of the fish.  
“How would you recommend eating them?”  
“They are exquisite when covered in salt, wrapped in leaves and grass, then cooked over hot coals.”  
“Are they safe to eat raw?”  
“Ah, they are if that is your preference.”  
“I sometimes find myself missing a few dishes from my homeland, one of them being raw slices of fatty fish, and the flesh of this fish seems to be pretty similar.”  
Takeshi could feel the angel's curiosity bubble in his aura.  
“Would you eat it as it is, or do you use any special flavorings?”  
“They can be eaten as they are, but usually we add a small amount of a freshly grated, pungent, rhizome or root and dip them in a salty sauce made from fermented beans.”  
“Interesting. Do you have any of those items so I may sample them? I am always on the lookout for new ways to prepare these fish.”  
“I still have a little left. Perhaps you could assist me in trying to figure out if there is something similar here in return?”  
“Of course.”  
Before they could get into any details they were interrupted by an eager call from Emelie.  
“Take! Could you help pull one of the nets in while Hugin and Munin fetch some stuff from the food storage?”  
“Of course sweetie.”

The fish were caught by using modified throwing nets, but she did it with her own twist by catching the fish, then tossing the end of the line to land where Knight was pulling it in, and now she had picked up a second net and wanted Takeshi to pull it in.  
Before long several of the workers joined them and together they hauled in nearly 100 of the large fishes, which according to the one in charge was roughly two thirds of the fish in that size span.  
“You and your pack are hard workers. You may take as many of the fish as you like. And may I suggest you pick a few of the females with roe. The roe is quite a delicacy.”  
The orchard master offered Takeshi a pleased nod when he saw how many of the demon trout they had managed to help catch.  
“Don't you need the roe for spawning more of them?”  
Emelie was showing great interest in how they were doing things.  
“No, we only allow the oldest and strongest to spawn to make sure the quality of our stock remains good, this is why we catch the mid size ones, they are mature enough to spawn.”  
“Ah, I see.”

“This wasabi of yours is quite interesting, it has pleasant kick to it. I can't recall ever tasting anything like it though.”  
The orchard master's face when he tasted a slice of raw fish topped with a dab of wasabi was quite amusing, he clearly had not expected the nasal kick of the grated condiment, especially since the obsidian angels had a weak sense of smell for a demon.  
“Well, I do have some seeds if you want to try to grow them, but they are notoriously tricky to grow.”  
“Oh?”  
Mentioning that wasabi was notorious for being hard to grow only seemed to make the old angel more interested in trying.  
“They require cool, running, water and shade and are slow growers, but I would be more than happy to try to get some to settle here. If we can get a few seeds to take they can be propagated using offshoots.”  
“I see, I see...”  
“If Take is going to give you seeds and teach you how to grow wasabi, could you give me some irri seeds and teach me how to grow irri so I can try growing some myself??”  
“I am terribly sorry, but it is impossible to grow irri outside of these special orchards.”  
“Oh, I have a few tricks I would like to try.”  
“As you wish.”  
“I do believe we have an agreement then.”

After that Takeshi and Emelie spent several hours sharing knowledge about how to germinate seeds and how to best care for small seedlings, and when they left the orchard in the evening Emelie carried several small bags of seeds and a few crystal flasks filled with water from different locations in the ponds.  
The orchard master told her it couldn't be done, but she was determined to try to grow irri using the sanctuary crystals, even if she only managed to get a small harvest, she had also managed to talk the old demon into giving her a selection of other seeds, including the fruit bearing willow.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Tar & Feathers_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“Are you guys ready to visit the winery?”  
Roghan's question as he popped his head into the garden of the guest wing had Emelie bouncing out of the pile of pillows in a heartbeat, startling the drowsy Munin, who had been keeping an eye while the others slept, rather badly.  
Roghan watched the chaos unfold before him with a smile, being startled Munin reacted by rapidly unfolding his wings, ready to fight or flee if needed, which caused him to give Hugin a good whack over the head, which made the sleeping angel react pretty much the same way, stuffing one of his wings in Takeshi's face. 

“Ugh, I don't recall ordering feathers for breakfast.”  
Takeshi huffed and complained as he spat out a few of Hugin's feathers before leaning in and making sure his fangs hadn't hurt Hugin's wing, Takeshi had quickly noticed that to fully suppress the heat he had to prioritize.  
The focus usually spent on keeping his form looking entirely human had to be reassigned to helping the Beast keep their instincts under control, so Takeshi now had red eyes, claws and fangs all the time, though, among demons no one really noticed..  
“I'm fine, it's just a scratch.”  
Despite Hugin's assurances Takeshi made sure to thoroughly inspect the wing while Hugin grumbled his complaints, but he stayed still and allowed Takeshi to fuzz until all ruffled instincts, and feathers, were soothed back into their proper order.  
When Takeshi leaned in to kiss him he quickly fled though, which made Takeshi grab the closest available person, which happened to be Munin who ended up on the receiving end of a scorching kiss.  
Munin however just sighed and waited for him to be done.  
“Calm now alpha?”  
“Not even close.”

Takeshi quickly pounced Emelie and Knight in turn before giving Roghan a proper smooch as well, just for good measure, then he stalked toward Hugin, intent on getting some sort of physical affirmation from him.  
“Just brush your wings over his arms, you know he likes that.”  
Munin called out to his brother, half teasing, half helping.  
He was right though, Takeshi loved the feeling of feathered wings softly brushing over his arms, the softer the touch the better, something that Lucifer had been quick to take advantage of as Takeshi would settle down and allow the touch for quite a while.  
Once he had Hugin cornered he was rewarded with nervous chirps as wings reached out to brush against his arms, trying to soothe instincts and calm Takeshi down without getting kissed senseless.  
In return Takeshi ran his hands over the shimmering black skin of Hugin's chest, gently tracing the flight muscles which made them twitch slightly, and had Hugin sucking in a sharp breath.  
The physique of the obsidian angels intrigued Takeshi, the way the flight muscles altered the appearance of their chest and back, but mostly he found the deep black color to be mesmerizing.  
It wasn't the extremely dark brown sometimes found in humans, but a true, shimmering, black that was normally a bit like graphite or hematite, but the pure black blood could make the skin darken to a very dark, deep, black if blushing, or flushed from physical activity.

“He is unusually high spirited today.”  
Roghan brushed his fingers against his somewhat abused lips, Takeshi's kiss had been quite rough, but he didn't really mind, while he had no desire for males he understood, and allowed, Takeshi's instinctual need for physical contact and a touch of dominance.  
“Mhm, helping test Brenna's suitors is pulling at his instincts, he instinctively sees her as a potential mate and that puts all related instincts in a bit of a tiffy.”  
“Ah, the curse of an alpha.”  
Roghan's mock sigh made everyone laugh as they waited for Takeshi to be done with Hugin.  
“How is that going by the way”  
“Well, with three alphas, one of them a lilim, all acting as her guides most accept our ruling without any objections, but there have been a few challenges.”  
Emelie quickly gave him a rundown of their progress with helping Brenna to secure a courting with the male she wanted.  
“Of course we handed all of them their asses in a timely manner.”  
Takeshi added with a grin as he joined them, once again mostly in control of himself.  
“Of course you did.”  
Roghan laughed while shaking his head.

“How about we get some breakfast and head out?”  
Takeshi quickly took back control of his energetic pack and with a nod they allowed Roghan to lead the way to a suitable place to get some food served, which ended up being the main kitchen as Takeshi and his pack all preferred less formal settings.  
The kitchen staff was more than happy to have them eat there rather than have to run around serving them in one of the many gardens or rooms, and the pack happily helped out with the kitchen work until their food was done.  
Not wanting to be outdone by the guests in his father's house even Roghan pitched in, much to the staff's amusement.

 

(¯`·._.··¸.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.,-(_Tar & Feathers_)-,.-~*´¨¯¨`*·~-.¸··._.·´¯)

“I would very much like to study the process closer if you are willing to teach me _Iero_.”  
Emelie was eagerly listening to the wine master explaining how orcha was made.  
“Indeed, I would very much like to study it as well. And maybe see if it can be adapted to make soy, and saké.”  
Takeshi was just as eager as she was, but for different reasons.  
“Soy, saké? What are these?”  
The had found that the obsidian master artisans were very curious, and very eager to learn new methods, which gave them means of trade that didn't require any form of money, they simply traded with their knowledge and skills.  
“Soy is salty condiments made from fermented beans, a bean simply called soy. And Saké is a wine made from rice.”  
“Oh, there are many kinds of rice, with vastly varying properties, making this saké of yours could be an interesting pursuit.”

“Do they always do this?”  
Roghan turned to the rest of the pack who were enjoying the various samples and snacks they had been offered.  
“Every time.”  
“Every chance they get.”  
“Mhm, those two have an insatiable hunger for knowledge, and they prefer to learn hands on how to make things they like.”  
“It's an admirable trait, those two definitely make an extraordinary alpha pair. Pack Kiryu will no doubt grow into a force to be reckoned with.”  
While they debated the qualities of the alpha pair, said alphas began negotiation a price for being taught how to make orcha.

“Do you know how to make mead?”  
Emelie was a bit uncomfortable with having Takeshi be the only one with skills or knowledge to offer in trade.  
“I am not familiar with that, what is is?”  
“It's a beverage made by fermenting honey, there are many variations for flavoring, but the base is water, honey and yeast.”  
“I do believe I have heard of something similar, but I do not know the method used.”  
“Then would the knowledge of how mead is made be an acceptable trade?”  
“You offer a trade that is much in my favor.”  
There was a hint of suspicion in his voice.

“Intentionally in hopes to entice you to accept. But also in hope that you will be willing to allow things like use of your equipment, space in your fermentation rooms, and your aid with acquiring quality ingredients at a good price.”  
Takeshi's open honestly earned them some thoughtful hums before the wine master agreed to teach them in return for their knowledge.

“He really has a way of gaining the trust, and respect, of those he meets. Having the good word of these highly respected artisans raises his standing significantly, and the standing of the pack.”  
“Something that will be of great value when courting our sweet little lilim.”  
“Very much so.”  
Hugin and Munin nodded in agreement to the exchange between Roghan and Knight.  
The higher standing Takeshi was able to gain, the more accepting others would be of him courting Emelie, and that would make them less likely to challenge his right to court her.

 


End file.
